About the Heiltsuk:
The Heiltsuk people are the descendants of the original Heiltsuk-speaking people, who inhabited approximately 6000 square miles of the Central Coast of what is now British Columbia. Archaelogical sites dating as far back as 7190 B.C. have been unearthed, showing that the Heiltsuk have inhabited the area for at least 9000 years. The Heiltsuk, like many other Coastal First Nations situated around the area, were largely dependent on resources found within the ocean. They had well-developed methods of hunting, fishing, gathering, and trading.
About “Bella Bella”
There are four main ideas about where the term “Bella Bella” originates from. 1) That it is an adaptation of the name of a tribe 2) That it derives from the native pronunciation of “Milbank” 3) That it is Spanish in origin, and 4) That it derives from a local place name or geographical feature in the Heiltsuk language. |
