Heiltsuk

The Heiltsuk /ˈheɪltsək/, also Bella Bella, are an Indigenous people of the Central Coast region in British Columbia, centred on the island communities of Bella Bella and Klemtu. The government of the Heiltsuk people is the Heiltsuk Nation. Its largest community is Bella Bella.

History

Ancestors of the Heiltsuk have been in the Central Coast region of British Columbia since at least 7190 BCE. The Heiltsuk are the descendants of a number of tribal groups who came together in Bella Bella in the 19th century.

The Heiltsuk practice(d) a set of cultural expressions that have been grouped together with other, similar groups under the term 'Northwest Coast.' These expressions include organization into extended family groups, linkage to origin stories, ranking and differentiation in status, ownership of non-physical prerogatives, seasonal movement to harvest resources centred on large permanent 'winter villages,' sophisticated use of wood, stone and other items, complex ceremonies and elaborate social interactions culminating in the 'potlatch.'

Heiltsuk (disambiguation)

The Heiltsuk are a First Nations people of British Columbia.

Heiltsuk may also refer to: