Sixth Grade
Worksheets
The Beothuk: A Lost Culture
It was never easy for the indigenous people of North America after the arrival of the Europeans. Native Americans lost their land, freedom, and their way of life. Millions of them died of disease or conflict brought by the white men. Yet, out of all the Canadian First Nations tribes, all have some modern representatives except one. That one is the Beothuk (Bay-o-thuck).
The Beothuk were native to Newfoundland. It is thought that they moved to the island around 50 B.C. They were the only tribe residing on the island, although the Micmacs sometimes visited it. The two tribes were often unfriendly to each other, so the Micmacs were not encouraged to stay. This meant that the Beothuk had no close allies to help them when trouble came later on.
The Vikings met the Beothuk when they tried to settle northern Newfoundland in A.D. 1000. They called the red painted people skraelings.
The first European explorer to meet the Beothuk was Gaspar Corte-Real in 1500. He was so impressed with them that he captured 57 of them to sell as slaves.
