Language Studies – Objectives

1. To preserve a permanent record and understanding of the Heiltsuk language by:

  • developing a practical orthography (alphabet) for writing down the Heiltsuk language;
  • recording and analyzing words in order to produce comprehensive word lists, bilingual dictionaries, and taxonomies;
  • analyzing and identifying the basic structure of the Heiltsuk language;
  • recording an extensive body of oral traditions, narratives, and discourses, and transcribing these into English.

2. To assist with the understanding and interpretation of Heiltsuk culture through linguistic analysis of information recorded or transmitted in Heiltsuk.

3. To promote and assist in the development of Heiltsuk language instruction programs.

Heiltsuk is a member of the North Wakashan family of languages.

Currently, the Heiltsuk language is being taught in classes from elementary school up to the eighth-grade level in the Bella Bella Community School. The Heiltsuk Cultural Education Centre collaborates with Bella Bella Community School’s Heiltsuk language program.

The Heiltsuk language is far more complicated than the English language in that the Heiltsuk language has 60 base sounds compared to the English languages 26 base sounds. Special characters have been designed based on the English alphabet to render sounds that don’t occur in English.

Our alphabet can be rendered using a unicode keyboard. The Heiltsuk Unicode input system and keyboard are separate technologies from Heiltsuk Doulos, Heiltsuk Times or other earlier Heiltsuk-specific fonts. With the Heiltsuk Unicode keyboard, you can type Heiltsuk characters without having to install a special font. It works for most conventional software, both online (such as Twitter and Facebook) and offline (such as Word and PowerPoint), and on all operating systems.

We suggest selecting Times New Roman as your font when using the Heiltsuk Unicode as this is available on all computers and has a full character set to render Heiltsuk correctly. Click here to download the current working version of the Heiltsuk Unicode keyboard for your operating system.

Please visit our Heiltsuk Language and Culture Mobilization Partnership website.