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First published in 1948, T.F.
Mcllwraith's The Bella Coola Indians remains the definitive ethnographic study ofthe Nuxalk
Indians of British Columbia. It is both a comprehensive guide to Nuxalk culture and a central
document in the study of ethnographic methods. Between 1922 and 1924 Mcllwraith, then an anthropologist with the National Museum of Canada, spent part of each year with the Nuxalk, acquiring an exhaustive knowledge of their culture. In these volumes he documented the structure of Nuxalk society, the practice of religion, and the role of mythology and the supernatural. He discussed the potlatch and described ceremonies and beliefs surrounding birth, adolescence, marriage, and death. Separate chapters deal with warfare, games, and songs. A lengthy and detailed description of the winter ceremonial appears in Volume II. That Mcllwraith was granted the unprecedented privilege of participating in one of these is an indication of the high esteem in which the Nuxalk held him. A new introduction by John Barker places the work in its historical context. Barker charts the remarkable career of Mcllwraith, reveals new information about his methods, and recounts the extraordinary publishing history ofthe first edition of this landmark work. |
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