There are eight language groupings amongst Yukon First Nations.
There are two major language families: Athabaskan and Inland
Tlingit. Athabaskan is further subdivided into seven dialects of
Athabaskan which are: Gwich'in or Tr'ondek Hwech'in, Upper
Tanana and Southern Tutchone . The Athabaskan language family
extends over an immense area of North America and is the largest
language family. The Tlingit people and language originate from
Southeast Alaska and they made their way into the Yukon at least
300 years ago to trade with the people of the Interior, the
Athabaskans. Many of our people in the Southern areas have both
Athabaskan and Tlingit ancestry.