Geographically and culturally, the Heiltsuk Nation lies at the centre of the Northwest Coast. The seven original Heiltsuk-speaking tribes inhabited the islands and fiords between Rivers Inlet and Milbanke Sound. Their neighbours were the Haisla, Tsimshian, Nuxalk, Oweekeno, and Kwakw a k a 'wakw people. Traditionally, Heiltsuk ceremonialists, canoe makers, and artists were greatly influential. Despite their significance, their art and culture remain mysterious. This seminal work focuses on Canada's premier collection of Heiltsuk art, The R.W. Large Collection in the Royal Ontario Museum, illuminating its early twentieth-century origins and the continuity and power of Heiltsuk cultural expression.