Region:
Southern tip of James Bay, Moosonee, Ontario. This community and surrounding area (Moose Factory, Ontario). Has speakers of Moose Cree, East Cree, and Swampy Cree in it.
Alternate names:
York Cree, West Shore Cree, West Main Cree
Dialects:
Nonpalatalized l-dialect within Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi language complex or dialect cluster.
Classification:
Algic -> Algonquian -> Central -> Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi -> Moose Cree
Population:
4,500. All Cree first-language speakers in Canada 87,555 (1998 Statistics Canada). Ethnic population: 5,000 (1982 SIL).
Language use:
Vigorous. Speakers also use English.
Language development:
Literacy rate in first language: 5% to 10%. Literacy rate in second language: 75% to 100%. Cree syllabary, eastern finals. Grammar. NT: 1876.