Transcript Beothuk - Nova Scotia Department of Education

Beothuk
Historical Background
• Beothuks were some of the first
aboriginals to be encountered by
Europeans.
• Beothuks would paint themselves
with Red ochre. The Europeans
would call them “Red Indians”
This name was eventually used
for all eastern aboriginals
• Europeans described the
Beothuks as inhuman and wild.
• The French accused Beothuks of
petty theft and set out bounty on
Beothuk scalps.
• The Mi’Kmaq would help the
French with killing the Beothuks.
• The last Beothuk named
Shawnadithit died in captivity in
1829 from tuberculosis.
Shawnadithit
Culture
• Beothuks lived on the island
of Newfoundland.
• Beothuk did not raise crops
• They had no dogs, they are
believed to be the only
aboriginals of North America
who didn’t have dogs.
• They had bark containers and,
stone arrows.
• Some other artifacts found
were made out of bone.
• It is believed that there were
no more than 500 to 1000 in
population.
Religious Practices
• When a Beothuk loved
one died they would wrap
the body's of the loved
one in birch bark and
place them sitting up in
shallow graves.
• Sometimes with
ornaments carved from
bone or ivory decorated
with red paint.
• Beothuk worshiped in the
moon and the sun
• Shawnadithit said they
believed in a great sprit.
This is believed to be a
burial ground for Beothuk
Housing and Travel
• Beothuk lived in cone shaped
houses made of bark.
• They fished and hunted on the
coast from late winter to early fall
• During winter they would move
inland and hunt caribou.
• Canoes where seven meters in
length and weighed about 110
pounds.
• Sides of the canoe were a “W”
shape.
• Canoes where Birch bark.
• Paddles of the canoe were sharp
and used for hunting along with
paddling.
Family Life
• Beothuk lived in
bands of closely
related families.
• There were 6-10
bands each with less
than 100 people.
• Pottery was either
unknown or very
scarce.
• Instead Beothuk
would cook in pots
made of birch bark
sewn watertight.
Language
• Little is known about
the Beothuk
language.
• It is believed to be
similar to
Algonquian.
• It is said that there
were 350 words in
their vocabulary.
• The vocabulary was
found in 1792 by a
girl named Oubee.
Clothing
• Clothing was covered in
red paint.
• In winter Caribou skin
leggings, Moccasins, and
mittens were worn.
• Men wore mid length
poncho from caribou
skin.
• Women had hoods on
the ponchos, sometimes
infants were carried in
the hoods.
• During summer nothing
was worn on hands or on
feet.
How They Adapted to the Land
• Beothuk did not raise crops.
• They hunted on the coast
from late winter to early fall.
• Winter they moved inland
and hunted caribou.
• They hunted with bows and
arrows, harpoons, spears.
• Beothuk had no dogs.
• They cooked food in birch
bark pots, pottery was either
unknown or scarce.
Bibliography
• Howley J. (1974). The Beothuks or Red Indians. Toronto; Coles
Publishing Company.
• Leechman D. Native Tribes of Canada. Toronto; W.J. Gage
Limited.
• Dickerson O. (1997) Canada’s first Nations Toronto; Oxford
University Press.
• Mankind (1984) New York, London, Toronto; Marshal Cavendish
Limited.
• Ingeborg Marshall. Beothuk Religious Beliefs and Practices. 26
Sep 2006
http://www.mun.ca/rels/native/beothuk/beo_religion.html
• Beothuks of Newfoundland. 26 Sep 2006
http://www.k12.nf.ca/piccadilly/Beothic.htm