The Cree language extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Rocky mountains in the West. As with any language that spreads across this much territory, the language is a continuum of related dialects – the closer people are to one another on this continuum the more likely they will understand one another, while those farther away may find it more difficult. The Cree of Eeyou Istchee speak dialects of Cree that are closest to the other dialects in Quebec – those spoken by the Innu, Naskapi, and Atikamekw.

The language spoken in the communities of Eeyou Istchee has frequently been referred to as Eastern James Bay Cree, or simply as East Cree. Speakers refer to the language as either Iyiyiu-Ayimuwin (eeyou yimuwin) or Iyiniu-Ayimuwin (eenou yimuwin), the former being used by coastal speakers and the latter being used by inland speakers. The population of Eeyou Istchee is approximately 20,000 and most people speak the language.

Among the speakers of Eastern James Bay Cree there are several dialects. Defining a dialect depends to a great deal on context. Looking at the Cree language continuum as a whole, from Labrador to the Rocky Mountains, it might be reasonable to consider Eastern Cree as a single dialect as there are common features that distinguish it from the dialects spoken in neighbouring communities. Also, fluent speakers in Eeyou Istchee generally understand one another. Taking a closer look, however, you could also be justified in defining the language as it is spoken in each of the Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee as representing its own dialect as each has its own distinctive character. Promoting the language, while preserving the special character of each of these dialects is one of the challenges we face as we move forward.

It is common, however, to divide the Cree as it is spoken in Eeyou Istchee into two broad dialects – that of Northern East Cree and that of Southern East Cree. The Northern dialect is spoken in the communities of Wemindji, Chisasibi and Whapmagoostui. The Southern dialect is spoken in Waskaganish, Washaw Sibi, MoCreebec, Waswanipi, Ouje-Bougoumou, Mistissini, and Nemaska. The community of Eastmain, located between Waskaganish and Wemindji, speaks a dialect that shares elements of both Northern and Southern speech and thus is best seen as a transitional dialect. The Southern dialect includes a further division – between coastal speakers in Waskaganish, Washaw Sibi, and MoCreebec, and inland speakers in Waswanipi, Ouje-Bougoumou, Mistissini, and Nemaska. For this reason, it is common to see people refer to Southern Coastal and Southern Inland as further dialectal divisions.

People have traditionally used a syllabic alphabet to write in East Cree. There are two spelling conventions used in Eeyou Istchee – one for the Northern dialect and one for the Southern. It is important to note that the spelling conventions for each are different in their philosophy, or approach to writing. The Northern system is more conservative than the Southern, reflecting older patterns of speech. This means the Northern spellings tend to better reflect Cree grammatical rules, although they may be a little more difficult for beginning readers. For this reason, it is difficult to assess the differences between the dialects based on spelling alone: while apiu and apuu are spelled differently in the north and south, they are both pronounced identically and have the same meaning (s/he sits).

Most importantly, the language as it is spoken in each of the communities of Eeyou Istchee provides the foundation for Cree culture and community life – for the stories, history, knowledge, and skills that have sustained the people here for time immemorial. For this reason, we are fully committed to ensuring that the language continues to be spoken by the generations to come.