10 rare languages still spoken across the U.S. that are worth saving

Across the United States, many Indigenous languages are spoken by fewer people each year. These examples show how language loss often happens quietly, over generations. Learning about them helps explain important parts of American history that are rarely discussed but still shape communities today. Keep reading to discover 10 languages you probably didn’t know existed.

Today, only a small number of people can still speak Chinook fluently. This language is associated with Indigenous communities of the Pacific Northwest, particularly along the Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington.

In the 19th century, Chinook played an important role in regional communication, especially through Chinook Jargon, a simplified trade language used by Native peoples, settlers, and traders. During the early 20th century, the use of English increased in schools, government, and business, which reduced the everyday use of Chinook. Linguists now classify the language as critically endangered, although dictionaries, recordings, and community teaching programs are available to support learning and preservation.

For much of the 1800s, Comanche was spoken across large areas of present-day Texas, Oklahoma, and surrounding states. It is the traditional language of the Comanche Nation, whose communities were widely distributed across the Southern Plains. They call themselves Nu-muu or Numunuu, meaning "The People" or "Our People."

Historical records show that Comanche was used in daily life, trade, and community communication. During the 20th century, English became more common in schools and public settings, and fewer children learned it at home. By the late 1900s, most fluent speakers were older adults. Today, Comanche is classified as severely endangered, and preservation efforts include language classes, recorded lessons, and educational materials designed for younger tribal members.

This is the traditional language of the Menominee people, a Native American tribe whose homeland is in present-day Wisconsin. The name Menominee comes from an Algonquian word meaning "wild rice people," given by neighboring tribes because wild rice was a vital food source for them.

Historical sources show that Menominee was used regularly in homes and community life into the early 1900s. As English became dominant, fewer families passed the language on to children. By the late 20th century, only a small number of fluent speakers remained. Today, Menominee is classified as critically endangered, but language immersion schools, adult classes, and community-led programs are actively working to increase everyday use among younger generations.

The Osage language belongs to the Osage Nation, whose people historically lived in parts of present-day Missouri and Arkansas before relocating to Oklahoma. Written and oral records indicate that Osage was commonly spoken in daily life through the early 20th century. Today, the language is often considered very vulnerable, meaning it is still spoken but at risk. Preservation efforts include a standardized writing system introduced in the 2000s, language classes, and educational programs organized by the Osage Nation to support new speakers.

Spoken among Pawnee communities in what is now Nebraska and later in Oklahoma, historical accounts show that this language was still in regular use in the early 1900s. The name "Pawnee" likely comes from a word like Pariki or Pani, meaning "horn," referencing the tribe's distinctive hairstyle where a scalp-lock was stiffened to stand up like a horn

By the middle of the 20th century, English had largely replaced Pawnee in homes, schools, and public settings. Today, it’s classified as critically endangered, with only a small number of fluent speakers. Audio recordings, written dictionaries, and grammar descriptions are now key resources for language classes and community-led education efforts.

The traditional territory of the Tolowa people is northwestern California, close to the border with Oregon. The name "Tolowa" comes from a Yurok/Wiyot term, Taa-laa-welh, meaning "people of Lake Earl," referring to their ancestral lands. However, the Tolowa people's own name for themselves is Dee-ni', meaning "person" or "citizen."

Their language was used in everyday life well into the 19th century, but by the late 20th century, census data and linguistic surveys indicate that only a small number of fluent speakers remain. Today, Tolowa is classified as critically endangered, though tribal organizations have partnered with universities and language specialists to record vocabulary, oral histories, and pronunciation, creating resources that can be used in the future.

The Washo are the Indigenous people of the Lake Tahoe region and the surrounding Great Basin/Sierra Nevada, known for their famous basketry. Their language was commonly spoken up to the early 20th century. As formal education in English became more widespread, fewer children learned Washo at home, and daily use declined over time.

Today, Washo is classified as severely endangered. Preservation efforts include language classes, written dictionaries, and audio recordings that are used by community members to support learning and maintain use of the language.

Wintu refers to a group of related languages traditionally spoken in northern California, mainly in areas around the Sacramento River and nearby regions. Historical accounts show that these languages were actively used by native communities throughout the 1800s. During the 20th century, however, the number of fluent speakers declined steadily, and by the late 1900s, only a few remained.

Today, Wintu languages are classified as critically endangered. Most of what is known about them comes from written documentation and audio recordings created by linguists and Wintu tribal members, which are now used for teaching.

Yuchi is unusual because it is not closely related to most other Native languages in the southeastern United States, making it linguistically distinct. It was traditionally spoken in areas that are now Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, and later in Oklahoma after forced relocations in the 19th century.

During the 20th century, the number of speakers declined. Today, Yuchi is classified as critically endangered, with only a small number of fluent speakers remaining. Current teaching programs aim to introduce basic vocabulary and everyday conversation to younger community members so the language can continue to be learned and used.

Yokuts is a family of related Indigenous languages traditionally spoken by different communities across California’s Central Valley. Each community had its own variety, which explains why Yokuts is described as a language family rather than a single language.

During the 20th century, several of these varieties stopped being spoken entirely as younger generations shifted to English. Other Yokuts varieties still exist but are spoken by only a small number of people, often older adults. For this reason, linguists classify most Yokuts languages as critically endangered. Written notes, audio recordings, and word lists collected by researchers and community members in the early and mid-1900s are now essential resources for teaching and preservation.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Stranger Than Fiction: 10 Unbelievable Events That Actually Happened

Image: Diana van Ormondt

They say truth is stranger than fiction, and some of these historical events are living proof of this old adage.

Brace yourself for a rollercoaster ride through history, where the strange and unexpected take center stage in the theater of reality. From absurd battles to mysterious weather phenomena, these 10 astonishing tales will leave you thinking long and hard about the complexities of human history.

Image: Sharon Co Images

Wars are typically waged between nations, but in 1932, Australia faced an unusual adversary: emus. After large numbers of these flightless birds invaded crucial farmland within Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, the government decided to intervene by sending soldiers armed with machine guns to reduce the emu population in the area. However, most attempts were ineffective at most, killing very few birds and costing thousands of dollars in supplies and ammunition.

As soon as the first shot was fired, the seemingly tame emu dispersed way beyond the range of the machine guns, and apparently switched to guerrilla tactics of sorts, avoiding all further military ambushes and frontal attacks while still feasting on the farmer’s crops. The government’s futile attempts were ridiculed and physical barrier methods to manage wildlife were preferred from then on. Sadly, they give no medals for having endured the Great Emu War.

Image: Hannah Skelly

In 1518, the town of Strasbourg, France, was gripped by a strange and inexplicable phenomenon - people suddenly began dancing uncontrollably in the streets. The dancing madness persisted for weeks, with some of the affected succumbing to exhaustion or even death. The authorities at the time did not know how to react, and some people even joined the dancers voluntarily, as they feared it was a punishment from Saint Vitus (and presumably wanted to stay on the safe side).

After many efforts to fight the strange epidemic, the dancing eventually subsided and people in the town could resume their normal lives. While theories range from mass hysteria to hallucinogenic substances and neurological disorders like Sydenham's chorea, the event remains a historical enigma that challenges our understanding of the human mind and collective behavior.

Image: Nima Sarram

In 1908, a massive explosion flattened over 80 million trees in the remote Tunguska region of Siberia. The cause? A mysterious airburst, likely caused by the explosion of a meteoroid or comet in Earth's atmosphere. It is now estimated that the event had an explosive energy of 3 to 5 megatons, equivalent to over a thousand Hiroshima bombs. The resulting shockwave broke windows, and knocked people down hundreds of miles away, reaching an equivalent of an earthquake of 5.0 on the Richter scale in some areas.

A bright glow was observed in night skies in Asia and Europe for days after the event due to high-altitude ice particles that formed as a result of the explosion. For all its magnitude, the explosion left no visible crater and minimal debris beside the devastated forest. The Tunguska Event serves as a stark reminder of the potential cosmic threats that lurk in the darkness of space.

Image: British Library

Miscommunication can often lead to chaos, but rarely on the scale witnessed in the Battle of Karánsebes in 1788. The Austrian army, at the time facing the Ottoman Empire, descended into total anarchy when two different scouting parties mistook one another for the enemy, fired on each other, and raised the alarm.

Making matters worse, the Austrian army was made of men of different nationalities who more often than not could not understand each other. All attempts to end confusion and the ensuing friendly fire on the part of the Austrian emperor himself were in vain, and after a while - deeply demoralized - he was forced to give the order of retreat. When the Ottoman army arrived two days later, they found an empty battlefield and were able to take the city of Karánsebes without any resistance.

Image: Aswathy N

In 1807, eight years before Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte had a humiliating defeat at the hands of a strange opponent - a horde of rabbits. During the celebrations that followed the Treaties of Tilsit - which effectively ended the war between the French and Imperial Russia - Napoleon’s chief of staff Alexandre Berthier had the idea of organizing a rabbit hunt to entertain its guests.

So far, nothing out of the ordinary for the time, but when the rabbits were simultaneously freed along the edges of a grassy field, instead of scattering as expected, all these fluffy beasts began running toward their amused hunters. But the fits of laughter didn’t last long, as the now-hunted hunters realized that there was nothing they could do to stop the relentless animals as they swarmed their positions and had no other choice than to flee. Some accounts state that Berthier had gathered around 3000 rabbits, so not even mighty Napoleon was a match for this unexpected army.

Apparently, the chief of staff's mistake was buying tame rabbits from local farmers, accustomed to being fed by humans, instead of trapping wild hares for the hunt. If we learned anything from the Great Emu War, the lesson is clear: never underestimate animals!

Image: Mitsuo Komoriya

In the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia - the largest in at least 1,300 years - 1816 became known as the "Year Without a Summer." The volcanic ash floating in the atmosphere led to climate abnormalities worldwide, resulting in crop failures and widespread famine in the most affected areas.

In Europe and North America temperatures plummeted, and most crops suffered irreparable damage due to the persistent frost. In the United States, a "dry fog" was observed in the eastern regions, dimming sunlight so much that sunspots were visible to the naked eye. Also, the high level of volcanic particles present in the atmosphere caused strange optical effects in the following years, such as strong red hues during sunsets, which can be observed in many paintings produced at the time.

Image: Tiana Attride

It seems that wars against unusual adversaries are a fashionable trend in human history because the Roman Emperor Caligula declared war in the year 40 AD on no one other than the god Neptune himself, king of the raging seas.

Known for his eccentricity, Caligula allegedly ordered his legionnaires to "attack" the sea with swords and spears, after which he declared victory against the powerful god and told the men to gather seashells as trophies of war. One can only imagine that the soldiers had a fun -albeit puzzling- day.

Image: Tim Mossholder

In the late 1980s, Pepsi briefly possessed the sixth-largest navy in the world. In exchange for commercializing Pepsi products in the Soviet Union, the company received 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer.

However, the fleet was composed of obsolete and unseaworthy vessels that were destined to be turned into scrap almost immediately. The payment was made in the only resources the USSR could gather easily at the time, and it provided a way to establish profitable international relations - and open up to the world.

Image: Garry T

The American Civil War started and concluded with a curious connection to Wilmer McLean, an American wholesale grocer from Virginia. The conflict's first major battle, the First Battle of Bull Run, took place in McLean's farm in 1861. A cannonball fell directly through the kitchen fireplace of the McLean’s house, which was being used as headquarters for the Confederate Army, destroying the dinner that was being prepared by the stationed officers - something that was noted not without humor by the Brigadier General P. G. T. Beauregard.

The McLean family moved to Appomattox, Virginia trying to escape the war, but just four years later, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant in McLean's parlor, marking the conclusion of the Civil War. Unintentionally, McLean was a prime witness of one of America’s most defining conflicts. Later, he said of this: "The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."

Image: Snowscat

Genghis Khan's vast empire and brutal military campaigns had an unexpected impact on the Earth's climate. A recent study suggests that the Mongol invasions in the 13th century led to a significant reduction in global carbon dioxide levels, as large areas of cultivated land returned to forests.

This had the unintentional effect of scrubbing as much as 700 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, roughly equivalent to the global annual consumption of gasoline today. This drastic ecological shift highlights the effect that land use, and particularly deforestation can have on our planet at a large scale.