Did You Know:
- The Beothuks are an extinct tribe of North American Indians who resided in Newfoundland, Canada until 1829 when the last Beothuk, Shanawdithit died.
- The Vinland Sagas document Viking contact with the Beothuks as early as 980 AD. The Norse called these indigenous peoples “Skraelings” or “barbarians” possibly because of their unusual appearance.
- Beothuks loved red ochre paint and they not only smeared their clothes and faces red, they also painted their birchbark canoes, tools, and even their babies red. Neighboring tribes called them the “Red People”, and the Europeans called them “Red Indians” or “Red Men”.
Beothuk Language:
- Robert Latham was the first linguist to examine the Beothuk language in 1850 based on word lists collected from Shanawdithit.
- The Beothuks had terms for "don't be afraid", "not hurt you," and "we become friends".
- The Beothuk language may have links to the Algonquian language. Memorial University's linguist, John Hewson, generated one master wordlist of 325 Beothuk words in 1978.
Beothuk Housing:
- Beothuks were hunter-gatherers who lived in dwellings known as mamateeks.
- Winter mamateeks were large enough to contain fifty to sixty people. They were built of straight pieces of fir about 12 ft. high,, the crevices were filled up with moss, and the outsides were covered with birch bark.
- Some Beothuks also lived in wigwams. These were conical, tent-like structures covered in deer skins. These could accommodate between 3-8 people.
- The beds were hollowed out in the earth, lined with branches of fir and pine. The sleeping hollows were relatively small with some believing that the Beothuks slept either in sitting positions or curled up.
Beothuk Lifestyle:
- In spring and summer, Beothuks harpooned seals and pursued other marine mammals and seabirds. In fall and winter, they resided in settlements in the wooded interior where they hunted caribou and other game.
- Beothuk culture was marked by ceremonies and celebrations. In addition to the annual ochring ceremony, another significant festival was the Mokoshan Feast where the spirit of the caribou was honoured after the annual hunt. During the Mokoshan Feast, drumming, singing, and dancing occurred while bone mash cakes were consumed in large quantities.
- Beothuks may have believed in personal guardian spirits that were obtained through a vision quest. This quest was a period of isolation and starvation culminating in visual/auditory hallucinations where an animal or bird presence was detected. The vision quest was undertaken at puberty.
Beothuk Societal Structure:
- There is little information available regarding Beothuk leadership. We do know that the Beothuk chief was known for qualities such as wisdom and charity rather than for his ability to wield absolute power. Beothuk chiefs may have carried staffs and may have stood out because of their dress and attire as well as the privileges afforded.
- Shamans were spiritual leaders who experienced powerful visions and who communicated with animals to secure their spiritual alliance to ensure success in hunting. Shamans were called upon to conduct rituals and ceremonies. The Shaman also was believed to have healing powers.
On Religion:
- Beothuks believed in the concept of a “Great Spirit".
- Animals were believed to have spiritual powers.
- Beothuks also believed in life after death. Entitlement to a happy and peaceful afterlife depended on moral conduct and compliance with expected behaviour. The afterlife was depicted to be an island where once could hunt and fish and feast.