Heiltsuk | |
---|---|
Bella Bella | |
Spoken in | Northern Central Coast Regional District, British Columbia, Canada |
Ethnicity | Heiltsuk people |
Language family |
Wakashan
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | – |
Linguist List | hei-hai |
hei-bel | |
hei-bbl |
Heiltsuk (English pronunciation: /ˈheɪltsʊk/), also known as Bella Bella and Haihais, is a dialect of the North Wakashan (Kwakiutlan) language Heiltsuk-Oowekyala that is spoken by the Haihai (Xai'xais) and Bella Bella First Nations peoples of the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, around the communities of Bella Bella and Klemtu, British Columbia. Bella Bella is the headquarters of the Heiltsuk Nation government.
Heiltsuk is considered to be a subdialect of Heiltsuk-Oowekyala, which like neighbouring Haisla and Kwak'wala are part of the Northern Wakashan language group.