Documenting Michif Variation

Olivia Sammons, University of Alberta

Project Details:

Individual Graduate Studentship. Duration: 2011-2014. £69,556

Project Summary:

Michif, the language of the Métis, is a contact language integrating French and Algonquian (Cree, Ojibwe) elements. Varieties are found in Canada (Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan) and the United States (North Dakota, Montana). With no comprehensive grammar of any variety and fewer than 1,000 elderly speakers, Michif is both under-described and highly endangered. Previous studies have primarily focused on varieties spoken in Manitoba, while neglecting those found elsewhere. In collaboration with Métis community members across western Canada, this project aims to provide a more comprehensive and permanent record in the form of a culturally and scientifically relevant corpus of spoken Michif.

Nominated Referees