Bella Coola

Bella Coola, tribe of Native Americans in western Canada near the North Pacific coast. The 600 Bella Coola still living reside near Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia, in a village on the Bella Coola River. Though they speak English and have lifestyles similar to their Canadian neighbors, they maintain their cultural heritage, lavishing gifts on guests at frequent ceremonial feasts (potlatches) and electing a band council to administer and govern the tribe. The ancestors of modern Bella Coola were successful fishermen (particularly of salmon) and woodworkers for centuries.