Heiltsuk
Híɫzaqv | |
|---|---|
Detail of a 19th-century bentwood chest by Heiltsuk artist Captain Richard Carpenter (Du'klwayella) | |
| Total population | |
| 1,874 (1995) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Canada (British Columbia) | |
| Languages | |
| English, Híɫzaqvḷa, Chinook jargon | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion, potlatch |
The Heiltsuk /ˈheɪltsək/, sometimes historically referred to as Bella Bella, or Híɫzaqv are an Indigenous people of the Central Coast region in British Columbia, centred on the island community of Bella Bella. The government of the Heiltsuk people is the Heiltsuk Nation, though the term is also used to describe the community. Its largest community is Bella Bella.
They should not be confused with the Salish-speaking Nuxalk peoples, who were formerly usually called Bella Coola in English.