Interior Salish

Interior Salish is one of the two main subgroups of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish, but can also refer to First Nations/Native American cultures who speak the language. The language can be divided into Northern and Southern Interior Salish groups, each with its own dialects. The original Salish people, or "Selisch", were the Flathead people, among the most easterly of the group and the first encountered by non-native explorers.

Peoples speaking an Interior Salish language

Northern

• Secwepemc, also known as Shushwap, Secwepemctsín, səxwəpməxcín (ʃəxwəpməxtʃín)
• St'at'imc, also known as Lillooet, Stl'atl'imx, Stl'atl'imc, Sƛ’aƛ’imxǝc (St'at'imcets)
• Nlaka'pamux, also known as Thompson River Salish, Ntlakapmuk, nɬeʔkepmxcín, Thompson River, Thompson Salish, Thompson, known in frontier times as the Hakamaugh, Klackarpun, Couteau or Knife Indians
• Sinixt, also known as the Lake, or the Lakes, in the Kootenay Region of BC, and Washington State.

Southern

• Coeur D'Alene Tribe, also known as Schitsu'umsh or Skitswish (Coeur d'Alene language)
• Sinkiuse-Columbia, also known as Sinkiuse, Columbia, Columbia-Moses, Nxaảmxcín
• Okanagan
• Flathead including Bitterroot, and Pend d'Oreilles.

See also

• Coast Salish

Further reading

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