The Bella Bella Big House - Brochure

The Bella Bella Big House
Heart of our Culture
Stepping up to strengthen our Identity

Heiltsuk Big Houses
Big Houses were the physical, social, ceremonial, political and
spiritual centres of our universe for thousands of years. During
the winter ceremonies the house is a sacred box of treasures
that radiates the songs, dances and history of the family. It
was the place were stories and traditional customs were passed
on. During non-ceremonial times the Heiltsuk house stored
provisions, provided warmth and shelter from the elements.
History
Each house has a nuyum, which translates as ‘story’, and resident
families identify with a particular oral narrative. Members of
each household recite their specific nuyum to acknowledge
hereditary chiefs, lesser chiefs and noble family members and
their influence on social, political and economical issues. Each
nuyum cites ancestral origins to specific creations, hereditary
names, ceremonial privileges rights and title to resource sites.

Our “small” Big House at the Koeye River used during field camps
Passing on of a traditional copper in the Bella Bella community hall
Our Dream
A Big House at our modern village site in Bella
Bella has only existed in our dreams. Bella Bella
was established in the late 1890s’ and early
1900s’. As a survival strategy Heiltsuk Chiefs
choose to amalgamate into one village over
time they adapted and adopted western style
houses. Our ceremonial, social and political
customs and practises within the Big House
were outlawed. Under the colonial pressure our
leadership also adapted our social practises.
As we continue to decolonize we are going
back to the customs and traditions that
sustained the Heiltsuk people for millennia.
The construction of the Bighouse will be a
milestone for us on many levels. It is the no. 1
community priority of current Heiltsuk leadership,
it is an important symbol and structure
validating that we have come through one of
the darkest moments in our history.
to make this dream a reality, past generations
of Heiltsuk initiated the first fundraising campaigns
over 25 years ago and began to design
the building. The work we are undertaking
today is simply the final step in this work. It is
the culmination of their foresight and dedication
to create a home for our spirits, our regalia
and our teaching, a ceremonial space, that
allows us to pass down our stories, protocols
and gvi’ilas-laws as we carry out our potlatches
and feasts -- a pulsing heart of our culture. This
house will tell the stories of our four families
for generations to come.

Design
tHe Building
Our Big House will have the capacity to seat 600 people
and will be built in our traditional style. To make it comply
with all safety and sanitary regulations additional measures
will be taken that are expensive, but necessary. The
blueprints for the building are completed and the project
is ready to be put out for tender with an estimated overall
budget of $2M.
Resurgence
Heiltsuk Big House model
One of the main
one of the four r

sAving tHe greAt BeAr
D
The Heiltsuk traditional territory lies in the heart of
KITCHEN
the Great Bear Rainforest, the largest remaining intact
temperate rainforest system left on the planet. For more
E
RAISED
PLATFORM
than a decade we have been collaborating with many
30/68
groups to protect these lands, waters and resources while
2'-0" 5'-0"
developing a sustainable coastal economy.
post designs, representing
emaining family crests
A
B
C
F
G
H
J
13'-0"
7'-6"
5'-0"
9'-0"
2'-0"
1
2'-0"
JANITOR
Stewardship
14'-0" 7'-0" 18'-0" 5'-0" 11'-6"
CONCRETE
VERANDA
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12'-0"
VERANDA
9'-0"
8'-0" 8'-0" 10'-0"
30/68
CHANGE AREA
210/68 210/68
UP
10 Ri@ 6"
9 Ru@ 11"
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STORAGE
UP
0.00'
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14'-0"
WASH
ROOM
8 Ri@ 7.5"
7 Ru@ 11"
UP
UP
2'-6"
5.00'
0.00'
2'-6"
13'-0"
9'-0"
UP
UP
2.50'
CONCRETE
STEP
9'-0"
62'-6"
126'-6"
64'-7"
MAIN ASSEMBLY HALL
TOTAL
564 SEATS
60'-0"
65'-0"
FIREPLACE
65'-0"
EARTH FLOOR ON
GRAVEL FILL
UP
UP
UP
20'-6"
7'-10"
3'-2" 3'-2" 3'-2" 3'-2" 2'-6" 2'-8"
2'-0"
44'-0"
17'-1"
0.00'
900
However, we still face serious threats from proposed
D
resource developments. Together with our allies we will
take whatever action is necessary to protect our tradi-
UP
tional territories from catastrophic damage caused by
4 RI@ 7.5"
DOWN
3 RU@ 38"
E
CONCRETE
unnecessary developments. VERANDA
Tribal Journeys provides an opportunity for the Heiltsuk
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to pull together with other coastal G indigenous people to
save the Great Bear Rainforest.
6'-6"
3'-0"
20'-0"
3'-2" 2'-6" 2'-10" 2'-0"
3'-2" 3'-2" 3'-2"
5'-0" 5'-0"
EXIT DOOR
8'-6"
CONCRETE STEP
MAIN FLOOR AREA ; 10,389 sq.ft.
MEZZANINE FLOOR AREAS : 2,163 sq.ft.
2.50'
4 RI@ 7.5"
3 RU@ 12"
4 RI@ 7.5"
3 RU@ 12"
5.00'
17'-0" 4'-0"
14'-0" 14'-0"
7'-0"
18'-0" 18'-0" 18'-0" 21'-0" 5'-0" 11'-6"
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3 4
5
6
7 8 9 10
2997 West Seventh Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. CANADA V6K 1Z7.
Phone: (604) 731-6302 Fax: (604) 731-6312 E-mail: plan@quinkatla.com
2 3 4
5
6
7 8 9 10
18'-0" 18'-0" 21'-0"
DEVELOPER PROJECT
HEILTSUK NATION HEILTSUK BIGHOUSE
126'-6"
WAGLISLA, HEILTSUK NATION B.C. CANADA
THIS DESIGN WAS PREPARED WITH THE VALUABLE RESEARCH AND HELP OF:
THE LATE DAVID GLADSTONE
THE LATE CYRIL CARPENTER
UP
7"
UP
UP
WASH
ROOM
LOBBY
THE HEILTSUK
CULTURAL CENTRE
UP
WASH
ROOM
UP
30/68
2.50'
2'-2" 2'-2"
9'-0" 13'-0" 13'-0"
9'-0" 9'-6" 11'-0"
9'-6"
11'-0"
MAIN FLOOR PLAN
1 / 4" = 1'-0"
0 Feet 5
10 15 20 25
DESIGN & DRAWING: MALCOLM McSPORRAN
DATE: 24 NOVEMBER, 2011
COPYRIGHT design is owned by Malcolm McSporran, and may not be
used or reproduced without his written permission.
The substantial costs accrue not just from the size of the building, but also from the cost of
contractors, materials and resources associated with building a Big House that must meet all
government standards.
85'-0"
A
B
C
F
H
J
A
2.2

Benefits The
Cedar from our territory
raising of a Heiltsuk Big House in Bella Bella
is a critical step to strengthen our social and cultural
life. It will empower us to bring the cultural teaching
we do out on the land back into our community.
It will support self esteem of young people learning
and practising cultural and ancestral laws.
Currently potlatches and feasts occur in the Bella
Bella multi-purpose community hall. The new Big
House will once again allow us to practise our customs
in a ceremonial house. It will help us to return
the culture and the laws around Big House protocols
and gvi’ilas back to our nation, and strengthen them
as a central part of daily life and economy.
The construction of the Big House will help building
capacity and employment in our community.
Much of the building will be constructed by our
local workforce and carvers while the wood will
be milled in our local sawmill. We believe that this
project is essential to the strength and vitality of the
Heiltsuk Nation, and we are committed to making it
work.

plAn of ACtion
so far, close to $1M has
been raised over a period of
25 years through community
fundraising, substantial in
kind donations for designs,
engineers, carving, and significant
allocations from our
Heiltsuk capital fund. Significant
volunteer time has
been offered to us throughout
the project that will be
managed by our council’s
construction department
and community committees.
We plan to have the Big
House built by summer 2014
to adequately receive and
honour our guests that will
come to our second canoe
gathering in Bella Bella, the
Qatuwas 2014. Qatuwas 2014
will let our youth experience
the importance of the Glwa
that connects us so much to
our lands and seas.
It fills our elders with pride
to see our culture and traditions
continue to live on
through our young people.
Support
The raising of a Heiltsuk Big Hous
a critical step to strengthen our soc
life. It will empower us to bring the
CAll we for do out support on the land back into our
will support self esteem of young p
We are practising asking for cultural funding and support ancestral law
to help fulfil our dream building
the Big House. Your support will
strengthen Currently our community potlatches and now feasts occ
and the Bella future multi-purpose generations. community It will ha
improve House the quality will once of again life, validate, allow us to p
give hope, toms a in strong a ceremonial sense of house. iden- It will
tity, purpose the culture and meaning and the laws through around Big
affirming and who gvi’ilas we back are as to Heiltsuk our nation, and
people. as a central part of daily life and eco
The Heiltsuk The construction Hemas (Hereditary of the Big House
Chiefs) ing and capacity the Heiltsuk and employment Tribal in ou
Council Much are proud of the building to support will Qatu- be constr
was 2014. workforce and carvers while the wo
in our local sawmill. We believe tha
essential to the strength and vitality
Nation, and we are committed to m
As our elders teach us: Giving is receiving.

Pulling together to save the Great Bear
ContACt us:
HIRMD
hdirector@heiltsuknation.ca
by phone (250) 250 957-2303
PO Box 880
Bella Bella, BC VOT 1ZO
Artwork: Shirl Hall, Ian Reid Photos: Cathy Brown, Rory Housty, Ian Reid, Mark Wunsch Design & Production: Greencoast Media