Bella Coola

Summary: In what has been called "regional history of the best kind," "Bella Coola" blends anecdote, legend, fact and a cast of vibrant characters into a highly readable account of a remote but very special place. Soon after 22-year-old Cliff Kopas arrived with his bride in Bella Coola, he began to appreciate the rich heritage of the long-inhabited coast and the adjacent plateau that he had recently crossed to reach his new home. Alexander Mackenzie had arrived in this ancient homeland of the Nuxalk people in 1793, completing his overland journey to the Pacific. After 1858, a portion of the gold-hungry horde from around the world used this port as a gateway to the Cariboo goldfields. And years after that, a government army landed here en route to the confrontations that would be known as the Chilcotin War. Settlers arrived by both land and sea, and as this unique community grew, it welcomed newcomers like Cliff Kopas. Fortunately for those who have followed, Kopas listened to the stories about the early history and the Native mythology of the coastal people.