Sixth Grade
Worksheets
A Girl Named Shanawdithit
Caption: A copy of one of Shanawdithit's drawings of a Beothuk woman in native clothing.
A girl named Shanawdithit was born into the Beothuk tribe on the island of Newfoundland around 1800. Her people had lived on the island for more than 1,800 years, but they were dying out. Sick Europeans brought diseases to the native people.
As a young woman, Shanawdithit was familiar with hunger. Her family rarely had enough to eat. Long ago, her people could hunt and fish at will along the coast. As more and more Europeans came to Newfoundland, the Beothuk moved inland to avoid them. When the Beothuk ventured out to the sea to hunt, the Europeans would often shoot them on sight. When the Beothuk people were forced to live in the middle of the island, the Beothuk quickly depleted the caribou population and European trappers also reduced the population of smaller, fur-bearing animals that the Beothuk could hunt for food. As a result, food was often scarce and was a constant worry for the Beothuk after Europeans arrived on their land.
