Not Just "Broken English": Some Grammatical Characteristics of Blackfoot English

Abstract

Based on a set of written and oral sourcesfrom the mid 1950s and the early 21stcentury, we sketch an outline of the grammar of Blackfoot English, a distinct varietyof Indigenous English spoken by some members of Blackfoot communities inSouthern Alberta. Closer analysis of grammatical characteristics of Blackfoot Englishshows that it is not simply a form of "bad" or "broken" English, but that it has itsown rules of grammar. A comparison with parallel structures in the Blackfootlanguage shows that some rules of Blackfoot English grammar reflect aspects of thegrammar of Blackfoot. A better understanding of the nature of the Blackfoot Englishdialect might help educators and speech-language pathologists better understand thelanguage use of their students and clients.