Aboriginal Languages Spoken at Red River Prior to the Creation of Manitoba

a) Michif:

Researchers have generally concluded that Michif is an unusual — perhaps unique — language in terms of its development. It began as a mixed language in the sense that, originally, it was formed by combining elements of the French and Cree languages (eventually elements of other languages, such as Ojibwe and English were also included). Unlike other mixed languages, however, words were not borrowed from the two original languages so as to form a simplified grammar. Instead, complex elements of both Cree and French were incorporated. Thus, in Michif, noun phrases of French origin retained the characteristic lexical gender (masculine and feminine) and adjective agreement; while verbs of Cree origin retained much of the characteristic polysynthetic structure (the parts of a verb each have independent meaning, but the parts might not work as stand alone words). Researchers regard this as an indication that Michif developed over time among people (family and community groups), who were fully fluent in both French and Cree.

There were variants, or regional and cultural dialects of Michif, just as there were regional variations in other Aboriginal languages. Although there is evidence of Michif existing as a language at Red River by 1869–1870, historical written records specifically devoted to documenting its use, and variations in its form, were not compiled. The exact extent to which Michif was spoken at Red River, and by whom, is therefore unknown.

Conceivably, fluency in any one variant of Michif would confer an ability to communicate readily with at least half of the predominantly Métis settler population at Red River and almost two-thirds of plains hunters/ winterers.^{^[i]}

b) Bungee:

The development of Bungee/ Bungay/ Bungi paralleled that of Michif in terms of period. The difference was that this contact language developed out of merging Scottish English (including the variant spoken in the Orkney Islands), with Scottish Gaelic, Anishnaabemowin/ Ojibwe/ Saulteux, and “a strong Cree component.” The vocabulary was recognizably English, although words, sentence structure, and speech patterns were borrowed from the other languages. For example, Bungee had a lilt that was similar to Gaelic speech rhythms. The name Bungee is said to have come from the Ojibwe word panki/ bangii: “a small part or portion” (in Cree pahki).^{^[ii]}

At best, fluency in Bungee alone might confer an ability to communicate with something under one half of the settler population at Red River and perhaps as much as a third of plains hunters/ winterers.

c) Cree:

The language spoken by Cree peoples, and known in Plains Cree as nêhiyawêwin,^{^[iii]} was the preeminent language of trade throughout much of northern Turtle Island/ North America (in today’s Canada).^{^[iv]}

As HBC trader John Joseph Hargrave, resident at Red River (and whose parents were both British), observed in 1871,

A man whose usual language is English, and one who speaks French alone, are enabled to render themselves mutually intelligible by means of Cree, their Indian mother tongue, though each is totally ignorant of the ... language used by the other.^{^[v]}

In addition, people who were fluent in Cree had some ability to understand Anishnaabemowin, Michif, and Bungee (all three being belonging to the Western Algic/ Algonkian/ Algonquian language family). They would, therefore, be able to communicate, to some degree, with virtually all Métis settlers and plains hunters/ winterers of Red River Settlement.

As well, people fluent in Cree would be able to communicate with Aboriginal people who lived and worked beyond the boundaries of Assiniboia, particularly to the north and west, and at considerable distances. The ability to communicate with Aboriginal people who lived and worked to the east of Red River Settlement — where Cree was not the dominant trade language — would become increasingly difficult with distance from Assiniboia (once predominantly Iroquoian language territories were reached). Cree was perhaps least effective as a trade language to the south of the settlement, across the American border, in territories were Siouan languages dominated.