Haida (Xaat Kíl)

Haida was once thought to be a Na-Déné language, but is
now considered a language isolate. About 30-50 people speak Haida, almost
all of whom are elderly, though efforts are being made to revive the
language.

The majority of Haida people live on Queen Charlotte Island
(Haida Gwaii) off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada.
There are also Haida on Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska, and
in others parts of Canada and the USA.

Haida has been with written a number of different spelling systems
invented by scholars and linguists. At least two spelling systems
are currently in use: one designed by linguist John Enrico, and the
other designed 30 years ago by linguists from the Alaska Native Language
Center, including Michael Krauss and Jeff Leer.

Haida alphabet and pronunciation

Sample text in Haida

Yáahl uu st’igáalaan, hal st’i’áwyaagaan.
‘Wáadluu xíl hal tlaahláayaan.

Gut’iláa k’íit k’uts hal ts’asláangaan.
‘Wáadluu sáng kwáan hal néilaan gyaan hal ‘lagáalaan
Asgáayst hal xitgwáangaan táawk uu hal diyáangaan.

‘Wáadluu, chíin kwáan gándlaay aa hal táagaan.
Hal sk’ísdlaayaan gyaan xitgáay aa hal jagíyaayaan.
‘Wáadluu hingáan an sáanjuudaayaan.
Ahljíihl uu tl’ hlgúujuu jahlíis gám ‘láa’anggang.

Translation

Raven got sick, he was very sick.
Then he made some medicine.
He boiled different kinds of tree roots.
Then he drank it for many days and got well.
Then he flew around looking for food.
Then he ate a lot of fish in a creek.
He got full and couldn’t fly.
So, then, he just rested.
That is why it doesn’t pay to be too greedy.

Yáahl (Raven), a story by Erma Lawrence

Source: http://www.haidalanguage.org/raven.html

Links

Information about the Haida language
http://www.haidalanguage.org
http://www.languagegeek.com/isolate/xaadas.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haida_language
http://www.sealaskaheritage.org/programs/haida_language_program.htm

Information about the Haida people
http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haindexe.html