Heiltsuk (Bella Bella)

The Heiltsuk or Bella Bella aboriginal people traditionally occupied a part of the central coast of BC in the vicinity of Milbanke Sound and Fisher Channel. Today, members of this FIRST NATION prefer to be known as the Heiltsuk, a term anglicized from the word in their language meaning "native." They have been referred to also as the Bella Bella, a term anglicized from the name of a site located near the present-day community of Bella Bella. The Heiltsuk speak a Wakashan language shared also with the Haihais or Klemtu (see NATIVE PEOPLE, LANGUAGES).

Keywords

Native Tribes

Tribal Groups

Aboriginally, there were at least five divisions or tribes of Heiltsuk, each associated with a particular territory, and each possessing its own winter village, head chief, ceremonial prerogatives and dialect. Unlike the Native tribes to the north, the Heiltsuk, along with their neighbours to the south, traced their descent bilaterally, acquiring rights and membership in a particular group from either parent. Additionally, there were crest groups based on descent, similar to the clans of their northern neighbours. The crest groups were ranked, with raven being the highest, followed by eagle, killer whale (orca) and wolf. Each of these crest groups was represented in each Heiltsuk tribe. One of the obligations of the crest group was to perform memorial duties; such tasks went to the group associated with the father of the deceased.

Social Relations

Heiltsuk society was stratified into five classes of people: head chief, chief, noble, commoner and low-class person. The upper classes maintained their status through the POTLATCH and ceremonial system in which chiefs called upon the resources of others to host dances and feasts. At these gatherings, hereditary prerogatives were displayed and such rights were validated within and beyond Heiltsuk society.

Economy

The aboriginal Heiltsuk economy focused on the harvesting and preservation of wild fish, birds, land and sea mammals, marine invertebrates and plants; there were no domesticated plants or animals. In late winter, Heiltsuk families left the central winter villages and set out for annually occupied seasonal camps where food was prepared for storage, to be used during the winter ceremonial season. Movement between camps was geared to the availability of resources. What was not available locally was traded for with for other Native people. Marine resources were exchanged via the Heiltsuk with more interior tribes such as the NUXALK (Bella Coola) and the Carrier Athapaskan.

Housing and Travel

Winter villages consisted of large cedar plank houses with gabled rooves, double ridgepoles and carved interior posts. Bark houses were sometimes situated at camping sites. Travel was mostly by cedar bark canoes distinctively designed for use in open ocean or lakes. The Heiltsuk also excelled in other woodworking skills including the manufacturing of bentwood boxes and chests.

EuroCanadian Influences

First contact with Europeans likely occurred in the 1780s, although trade with the Heiltsuk did not become common for another decade. In the early 1800s, the Heiltsuk were active participants in the maritime FUR TRADE. In 1833, the HUDSON'S BAY CO established Fort McLoughlin on Campbell Island. This depot was dependent upon receiving furs obtained by the Heiltsuk through trade. The post closed in 1843, as the company's steamship Beaver provided an expedient means of collecting furs, and thus made the fort obsolete.

After the mid-1800s, the remnants of Heiltsuk tribes, severely reduced in population due to a series of EPIDEMIC diseases, amalgamated at McLoughlin Bay. By the 1880s, the Heiltsuk population had decreased to around 200. In 1898, guided by Methodist missionaries, the population moved to the present-day site of Bella Bella.

Present Day

In the 20th century, Bella Bella has expanded into a prosperous community focused on participation in commercial fishing, herring roe and forestry industries. An active ceremonial life binds the community with its aboriginal past. Potlatches continue to mark significant points in Heiltsuk family life. In 1996, 1210 of the 2182 Heiltsuk members lived on-reserve in Bella Bella.

Author DOROTHY KENNEDY

Links to Other Sites

Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples
The website for the "Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples." Click on the links for feature articles about Canada's many multicultural communities, access to their extensive digital archives collection, learning modules, and much more. From "Multicultural Canada."

Languages of Canada
A comprehensive online database of languages currently in use in Canada. Also provides details about extinct languages. Check out the "language maps" for more information. Based on "Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition." From SIL International, a US website.