▁greater ▁than ▁it ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁European ▁contact . ▁This ▁confir ms ▁both ▁T ling it ▁and ▁E y ak ▁or al ▁histor ies ▁of ▁migration ▁throughout ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁Current ▁status ▁and ▁rev ival ▁ ▁Ext inction ▁Marie ▁Smith ▁Jones ▁( May ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 1 8   – ▁January ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 ) ▁of ▁Cord ova ▁was ▁the ▁language ' s ▁last ▁native ▁speaker , ▁and ▁the ▁last ▁full - blo oded ▁E y ak . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁dying ▁off ▁of ▁its ▁native ▁speak ers , ▁E y ak ▁became ▁a ▁symbol ▁in ▁the ▁fight ▁against ▁language ▁ext inction . ▁ ▁The ▁spread ▁of ▁English ▁and ▁supp ression ▁of ▁ab original ▁languages ▁are ▁not ▁the ▁only ▁reasons ▁for ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁E y ak ▁language . ▁The ▁north ward ▁migration ▁of ▁the ▁T ling it ▁people ▁around ▁Y ak utat ▁in ▁pre contact ▁times ▁encourag ed ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁T ling it ▁rather ▁than ▁E y ak ▁along ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Coast ▁of ▁Al aska . ▁E y ak ▁was ▁also ▁under ▁pressure ▁from ▁its ▁neighb ors ▁to ▁the ▁west , ▁the ▁Al ut ii q ▁people ▁of ▁Prince ▁William ▁Sound , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁some ▁pressure ▁from ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁Co pper ▁River ▁valley . ▁E y ak ▁and ▁T ling it ▁culture ▁began ▁to ▁merge ▁along ▁the ▁G ulf ▁Coast , ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁E y ak - spe aking