Heiltsuk

The Bella Bella Heiltsuk also, are a Native American tribe on the northwest Pacific coast in British Columbia, Canada. They are divided into sub- tribes of the Bella Bella and Klemtu, where the eponymous Bella Bella form the larger group. The government of the tribe called Heiltsuk nation.

History and Culture

The Bella Bella lived in their present territory in the Canadian coastal rain forests in 1793, when Alexander MacKenzie completed his continental crossing. The Heiltsuk are descended from tribal groups around the present site Bella Bella settled in the 19th century on Campbell Iceland and Bella Bella were called Indians. They had before the English discovery by Alexander MacKenzie already had contact with Russian expedition ships, so they were not surprised by the appearance of a white expedition.

The Bella Bella are known as a fishing culture. They hunted on ocean-going canoes to Robben.

From their neighboring tribes, they were feared. This dissuaded Alexander MacKenzie of his onward journey, but this was also practiced by many other tribes, to stand longer under the protection of armed whites and get the coveted metal trade goods of Europeans.

Like many other tribes on the Canadian coast they were affected by dramatic population declines caused by - caused diseases and the so-called fur wars during the Fellhandelsära - of European settlers entrained.

Particularly revered wolves, bears and whales. Like other First Nations living in this habitat, such as Quileute, derive their descent from wolves and consolidate this from still -existing relationship with the animal world by so-called "Wolf Dances".

The name Bella Bella is considered by the members of the tribe itself to be offensive; they prefer the term Heiltsuk.

Language

The Heiltsuk language belongs to Wakashan language family. In this group, it is similar to closely related to Wuikyala ( the language of the Riverinlet peoples ) as the Romance languages, Spanish and French. Heiltsuk, Wuikyala, Haisla and Kwak ` wala form the northern Wakashan language group. However, while Heiltsuk and Wuikyala are tonal languages ​​, and both are regarded as dialects of the Heiltsuk - Oowekyala language, for example, Kwak ` wala neither.