What language did the Bella Coola tribe speak?
The Bella Coola tribe spoke Nuxalk, a Salishan language of the Northwest Coast.
Bella Coola Art
The Bella Coola were expert wood carvers and various items were decorated with Bella Coola art. These included fabulous masks, totem poles, house frontal poles with entrance through a gaping mouth. The artists also created Petroglyphs and Pictograms.
Bella Coola Totem Poles
The Bella Coola erected Totem Poles made by carving and painting vertical logs. Totem Poles symbolized guardian spirits who watched over the family, clan, or tribe. The Bella Coola tribe used the "Southern Style" of Totem Poles that included impressive thunderbirds using an intricate color scheme favoring black, red, green, and yellow, white and turquoise colors. For additional facts and information refer to Totem Poles.
What transportation did the Bella Coola use? Dugout Canoes
The Bella Coola tribe used dugout canoes made from the from hollowed-out logs of cedar trees. The Bella Coola men hollowed logs and used a steaming technique to soften the timber so they could carve and shape their canoe. The ornate bow and stern pieces were carved and added separately. The dugout canoe was perfect for travel along fast streams and shallow waters and were sturdy enough for the rough waters of the Bella Coola River that flowed westward to the Pacific Ocean. The Bella Coola used several different types of canoes, including long, narrow canoes of a single red cedar log for rivers and bigger types of seagoing canoes that were often decorated with crest designs or painted black.
What food did the Bella Coola tribe eat?
The food that the Bella Coola tribe ate included their staple diet of fish supplemented by wapato (Indian Potato) greens, seeds and berries. The women also pressed the rich oil from the eulachon (candlefish) and used large amounts of this oil as a dip for their food.
What weapons did the Bella Coola use?
The weapons used by the Bella Coola included bows and arrows, blowguns, clubs and spears. The also used shields made from the hide of the moose and wore wood armor used a form of defensive clothing called a clamon which was like a breastplate made from hardened moose hide and cedar bark and was designed to protect the wearer from arrow fire.
What clothes did the Bella Coola wear?
The clothes worn by the Bella Coola were the same as those worn by the Chinook Tribe - please refer to this article for comprehensive information about clothing.
What was the religion and beliefs of the Bella Coola tribe?
The Bella Coola believed that there were five worlds, located one above the other. The middle world was their own world, the earth. Above earth were two upper worlds, one the home of 'Our Woman - Afraid of Nothing', and the one below that was the 'House of the Sun'. Two lower worlds were below earth. The first world was called the 'Ghost Land' and the second was the home of those Bella Coola who die a second time. The upper heaven, the home of "Our Woman" or Afraid of Nothing was envisioned as a prairie without any trees in it. In order to reach it, the Bella Coola must pass through the House of the Sun.
The house of Afraid of Nothing stands in the far east. A strong wind blows always toward it across the open prairie so that everything rolls to her house. However, immediately around the house it was always quite calm. In front of the house stood a totem post in the shape of a large winged monster whose mouth was the entrance. The Bella Coola believed that Afraid of Nothing, "Our Woman", created the whole world. She fought a great war with the mountains and defeated them. She made them much smaller than they used to be. During this fight she broke off the nose of one mountain, and its face may be recognized even now. The mountain is near the Bella Coola River. The Bella Coola believe that Afraid of Nothing visits the earth now and then; but when she does, her visits cause sickness and death.
Bella Coola History
The Bella Coola were believed to have settled in the region around 1400. In 1793 they encountered the explorers George Vancouver and Alexander Mackenzie. They traded fish and animal skins for copper, iron, knives, kettles and other items. As the fur trade developed, Hudson’s Bay Company established a local trading post from 1833 to 1843. During this time, the Bella Coola prevented furs from other tribes from reaching the coast, thus maintaining a trade monopoly with the Europeans.
Bella Coola
- Interesting Facts and information about the way the people lived
- The clothes worn by men and women
- Description of the homes and the type of food the Bella Coola would eat
- Fast Facts and info about the Bella Coola
- Names of famous chiefs and leaders
- Interesting Homework resource for kids on the history of the Bella Coola Native American Indians
Pictures and Videos of Native American Indians and their Tribes
The Bella Coola Tribe was one of the most famous tribes of Native American Indians. Discover the vast selection of pictures on the subject of the tribes of Famous Native Americans such as the Bella Coola nation. The pictures show the clothing, war paint, weapons and decorations of various Native Indian tribes, such as the Bella Coola tribe, that can be used as a really useful educational resource for kids and children of all ages. We hope you enjoy watching the video - just click and play - a great social studies homework resource for kids .
