Which Indigenous language families were spoken across the Plains?

Six distinct Indigenous American language families were represented across the Great Plains. These families include:1

• Algonquian: Spoken by groups such as the Blackfoot, Arapaho, A’aninin, Cree, Ojibwe, and Cheyenne.1
• Siouan: Spoken by the Mandan, Hidatsa, Apsáalooke, Assiniboine, Omaha, Ponca, Osage, Kaw, Iowa, Oto, Missouria, and the Oceti Sakowin (Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota).12
• Caddoan: Spoken by the Pawnee, Sahnish, and Wichita.1
• Uto-Aztecan: Represented by the Wind River Shoshone and the Comanche.1
• Athabaskan (Na-Dené): Represented in the northern Plains by the Tsuut’ina.1
• Kiowa-Tanoan: Represented by the Kiowa.1

Additionally, the Métis spoke Michif, a trade language combining Plains Cree and French. Many groups also utilized Plains Indian sign language to communicate across these diverse linguistic boundaries.13