Bella Yahey


Bella Yahey
Bella (Attachie) was born in 1874 or earlier. Since the Beaver Indians traveled so much her place of birth is unknown. Bella's father was Attachie, one of the eight Beaver Indian leaders who signed Adhesion to Treaty No. 8 at Fort St. John, B.C. in 1900. Bella grew up in the 'bush country' around the present location of Fort St. John.

With her parents she would spend her summers in the vicinity of Montney north of town. Summers were spent visiting relatives and friends who would come together along the streams. She also spent the summer picking berries, preparing dry meat for the winter months, and trapping fur bearing animals. In the spring her family would trap beaver just after the break up of ice on the streams. As summer approached her family would return to the Montney area to sell their furs to the Hudson's Bay Co., Revillion Brothers Co., or other traders and to partake in the annual Treaty Payment Ceremonies.

Bella married Otah in 1910 and they had two children before his death in 1912. Two years later Bella married Charlie Yahey who was the son of 'Old Charlie', after whom Charlie Lake is named. Charlie Lake was central to the traditional hunting territory of the `Yahey' Band.

Bella's husband Charlie was a well known Beaver Indian Prophet and many articles have been written about him.

When Bella died on July 16th, 1976, she was reported to have been the oldest living Canadian at that time.




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This page created 18/07/96.