The Itelmen language, which is now spoken by only a very small number of people on the west coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, is one of the most endangered languages in the Russian North. It is usually classified along with Chukchi and Koryak as part of the 'Chukchi-Kamchatkan' language family, although significant differences in all areas of the linguistic system make this classification appear highly questionable today. The work begins with an overview of the grammar. This is followed by a presentation of the main differences between the dialects that can still be distinguished today and a discussion of the issues surrounding the genetic relationships of the Itelmen language. Seven texts with German translations complement the grammar, providing cultural and historical information that is rarely recorded among the Itelmen today.