Heiltsuk First Nation
| Heiltsuk Nation | |
|---|---|
 Heiltsuk Band Council, Bella Bella
|
|
| Coordinates: 52°09′43″N 128°08′42″W / 52.16194°N 128.14500°WCoordinates: 52°09′43″N 128°08′42″W / 52.16194°N 128.14500°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Government | |
| • Type | First Nations Council |
| • Chief Councillor | Marilyn Slett |
| • Councillors | Denise Carpenter Earl Newman Sr. Jaimie Harris Jess Housty John Bolton Sr. Howard Hunt Jr. Leona Humchitt Marilyn Hall Pam Wilson Pauline Waterfall Travis Hall |
| Population | |
| • Total | c. 1,600 |
| Time zone | Pacific Time Zone (PTZ) ([[UTC-7 UTC−7]]) |
| • Summer (DST) | DST (UTC) |
| Postal code span | V0T 1Z0 |
| Area code(s) | 250 |
| Website | Official Website |
| PO Box 880, Bella Bella, BC, Canada | |
The Heiltsuk Nation is a First Nations government in the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, centred on Campbell Island in the community of Bella Bella, British Columbia. The Heiltsuk people speak the Heiltsuk language, and were, like their language, and along with the neighbouring Haisla and Wuikinuxv (Owekeeno) peoples, incorrectly known in the past as the "Northern Kwakiutl". The Heiltsuk were also known as the Bella Bella, after their core community.
The present day Heiltsuk First Nation is an amalgamation of 5 tribal groups who inhabited an area approximately 6000 square miles of the Central Coast of British Columbia. The Heiltsuk peoples lived off of both land and sea in the region between Milbanke Sound and Fisher Channel. Heiltsuk territories include numerous inlets, islands, peninsulas, mountains and valleys. Rivers and streams cascade into the sea through heavy forests and dense undergrowth.‘‘Oral traditions of the present-day Heiltsuk maintain that the first generation of their ancestors were "set-down" by the Maker in various places within Heiltsuk territory and were living here before the time of a Great Flood.’ Geological evidence shows people have been living there continuously for the past 9,700 years. 1,400 of the 2,200 Heiltsuk membership live on Campbell Island, which is approximately 78 nautical miles from the British Columbia mainland, and 98 nautical miles from Vancouver Island.
The 1997 Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Gladstone found that the Heiltsuk have an Aboriginal right to trade in Herring. This was the first decision recognizing a commercial Aboriginal right in Canada. Despite winning the decision, the dispute over Heiltsuk access to herring, and management of the stock have persisted. The 2015 herring season saw a crisis develop between the Heiltsuk and Canada, including occupation of a DFO office. The crisis ended when the commercial herring gillnet fleet departed without fishing.
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Wikipedia