century, Halkomelem had become the dominant indigenous language of the Nooksack in the United States. This demonstrated how closely the people were related on each side of the border. As of 2016, the last fluent speaker of Nooksack and its dialects was George Adams, a 70-year-old elder of the tribe. In the late 20th century, observers thought the language had become extinct around 1988. In the 1970s American linguist Brent Galloway had worked closely with another fluent native speaker. He was trying to create a dictionary of the Nooksack language but it is unclear if that work was published before his death. Galloway's book Dictionary of Upriver Halkomelem (2009) covers a language that was in the same region but distinct from that earlier spoken by the Nooksack people. References External links Nooksack Tribe page Nooksack Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Washington, United States Census Bureau BC Archives photo "Indian cemetery, Nooksahk, Wash. U.S.A.", c.1890, description page, British Columbia Archives (click on thumbnail for full-size image) Allan Richardson and Brent Galloway, Nooksack Place Names: Geography, Culture, and Language, UBC Press Native American tribes in Washington (state) Federally recognized tribes in the United States