A sad tale from BBC:

A woman believed to be the last native speaker of the Eyak language in the north-western US state of Alaska has died at the age of 89.

Marie Smith Jones was a champion of indigenous rights and conservation. She died at her home in Anchorage.

She helped the University of Alaska compile an Eyak dictionary, so that future generations would have the chance to resurrect it.

Ms Jones is described by her family as a tiny chain smoking woman who was fiercely independent.

None of her nine children learned to speak the language, and there are 20 more Alaskan tongues in danger of dying out. 🙁

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