Kulhulmcilh (ItNuxalkmc: "our land"; pronounced: [kuɬulmxiɬ]), also known as Nuxalkulmc ("Nuxalk Country"; [nuχalkulmx]) and Nuxalk Territory, is the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory (or country) of the Nuxalk Nation. It is located on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada, centred in and around Bella Coola (Q'umk'uts). Nuxalk Territory neighbours Waxvwuisaxv (Heiltsuk Country) and the Haisla to the north, the Wuikinuxv to the south, and to Dakelh Keyoh and Tŝilhqot'in Nen in the interior. Without a treaty between the Canadian State and the Nuxalk Nation, much of Kulhulmcilh's land base is disputed between the two governments. Since 1869 and the application of the Indian Act, the nation has been governed by an imposed chief and council band structure, disrupting the historical system of nunuts’xlhuusnm whereby Nuxalkmc were governed by the Stataltmc (ancestral leadership). The elected Chief and Council signed a memorandum of understanding with Nuxalk Stataltmc on June 28, 2019, outlining a path forward to revive and re-implement the ancestral system of governance in Kulhulmcilh. Similarly, the language (ItNuxalkmc) is undergoing a revival where it both is heard on CKNN-FM Nuxalk Radio and is being taught in both the provincial school system and the Nuxalk Nation's own school, Acwsalcta, which means "a place of learning".
Etymology Kulhulmcilh and Nuxalkulmc mean "our land" and "Nuxalk Country," respectively, in ItNuxalkmc. The name "Nuxalk" for the language comes from the native nuxalk (or nuχalk), referring to the "Bella Coola Valley". "Bella Coola" is a rendering of the Heiltsuk bḷ́xʷlá, meaning "stranger".
Government Currently, Kulhulmcilh is overseen by a number of different governments: the original, ancestral government (or nunuts’xlhuusnm as led by the Nuxalk Stataltmc), the imposed band government with an elected Chief and Council, and the governments of British Columbia and Canada. The Chief and Council, as a relic of the Indian Act, directly oversee Bella Coola Indian Reserve No. 1 (accounting for just 0.1% of their territory) whilst the provincial and federal governments oversee the remaining 99.9% of Kulhulmcilh's lands and waters. However, there is an active resurgence of traditional governance, and the Stataltmc have recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chief and Council in order to lay the foundation for future decision-making processes in the nation.
Traditional governance
Nunuts’xlhuusnm, or the Nuxalk system of governance, and its law are supported by four foundations or pillars, known as sliix (treasures). As the Nuxalk Nation writes on their website:
Smayusta: What’s its origin, where does Nuxalk law originate from Klhalhta: What’s its practice, where does Nuxalk law gather its strength from Tcamatlhh: What’s its place, how is Nuxalk law validated and reinforced Kw’alhtnta: How does this help our community, what does this mean for the Nuxalk Nation today? Several other foundations are given in addition to the sliix: "ceremonies, sxayaaxa (protocols), stl’cw (ethics), responsibilities, ksnmsta (land stewardship), relations, and ancestry." Holding these pillars are the Stataltmc, or traditional chiefs, who meet in the House of Smayusta. Alongside the hereditary chiefs, elders and community supporters work together in the physical House building in order to lead the nation. As the nation describes it, "The House of Smayusta translates as "House of Stories" and refers to the ancestral stories of families that describe family lines and histories, the basis of Nuxalk organization. The House of Smayusta represents the sovereignty and traditional government of the Nuxalk."
Treaty To this day, no treaty has been signed between the Canadian State and the Nuxalk Nation. The stance of the nation remains resolute in not signing a modern treaty, especially in light of the deal given to the Nisg̱a’a Nation.
Culture
Nuxalk culture is indigenous to Kulhulmcilh, and it, alongside neighbouring nations like the Kwakwakaʼwakw and Heiltsuk, is part of the wider spectrum of Pacific Northwest Indigenous cultures. Their art, like that of their neighbours, centres formline, with button blankets as a core, cultural practice. Also like other nations along the BC and Alaskan coasts, there are specific laws around storytelling and other treasures (like masks and dances), where specific families and individuals own specific stories/treasures, and it is only those families and individuals who are allowed to share them.
Language
The Nuxalk language, once called Bella Coola, is a distinct Salishan language, with a lexicon equidistant from Coast and Interior Salish. It shares phonological and morphological features with Coast Salish (e.g., the absence of pharyngeals and the presence of marked gender). Nuxalk also borrows many words from contiguous North Wakashan languages (especially Heiltsuk), as well as some from neighbouring Dene languages (like Dakelh and Tsilhqotʼin) and Tsimshian. The notion of syllable is challenged by the Nuxalk language, in that the language includes long strings of consonants without any vowels or other sonorants. Salishan languages, and especially Nuxalk, are famous for this. For instance, the following word contains only obstruents:
Other examples are:
p’xwlht 'bunchberry' tsktskwts 'he arrived' tts 'little boy' sps 'northeast wind' sts’q 'animal fat' sts’qtstc 'that's my animal fat over there' tlh 'strong' q’t 'go to shore' k’clhhtscwslhxwtlhhts 'you had seen that I had gone through a passage' There has been some dispute as to how to count the syllables in such words and whether the concept of 'syllable' is even applicable to Nuxalk. However, when recordings are available, the syllable structure can be clearly audible, and speakers have clear conceptions as to how many syllables a word contains.
History The Nuxalk Nation has been present in Kulhulmcilh for several thousand years, potentially back 14,000 years before present. The nation divides their history into four eras: the early period (14,000 – 9,000 BP), the middle period (9,000 BP – 5000 BP), the great period (5,000 BP – 1793 CE), and the modern period (1793 CE – present). It was during the early periods that the laws, traditions, and economy (like that of the grease trail) of the Nuxalkmc coalesced.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
