Norval Morrisseau's painting Androgyny. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Aboriginal language experts say several native dialects are endangered in Saskatchewan as fewer young people learn their ancestral tongues.

There are eight aboriginal languages spoken the province. The most widely spoken are Cree and Saulteaux.

Statistics Canada says one in five aboriginal children under the age of five can understand an aboriginal language.

But native language experts in Saskatchewan say this figure is suspect, and some languages such as Nakota, Lakota and Dakota are in danger of extinction.

Dorothy Myo, president of the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre, said there are only a handful of people who speak some native dialects — and those speakers are aging.

"The youngest fluent speakers are between the age of 26 to 65," said Myo. "Our youngest people aren't learning the language. They're not having access to learning their language today."

Myo said preserving aboriginal languages has become a priority for native leaders, who are expected to press the provincial government to allow more aboriginal language instruction in schools.

"There are so few speakers, and it's really on the verge of extinction. Part of that strategy is the youth — first to have them take an interest and then have it accessible for them to learn."

Frances Anaquod, who teaches Saulteaux at her home community of Muscowpetung, said at one time the Saulteaux-language program was dropped in the local school, but then politicians realized it was too important to lose and reinstated it.

"It's very important at this point in time to be trying to revitalize our languages," said Anaquod. "The children love it. This is the foundation of our culture."