Why Did the Beothuk People Dissapear?

Matthew Mohan
Student ID # 001145057
    Why Did The Beothuk People Disappear?
By: Matthew Mohan
The Beothuk were the aboriginal inhabitants of Newfoundland when European settlers first arrived. The peak of the Beothuk population is thought to be between 500 and 1000 people. Their main source of food was fish, supplemented by Caribou hunting. Most of the time the Beothuk lived in tepee structures known as mamateeks. These were circular structures with a fire pit in the middle. Close around the fire pit were indentations dug and shaped for sleeping purposes. In winter, walls were lined with hides for {text:bookmark} insulation. The entire family shared a mamateek. (Hewson, John. "Beothuk and Algonkian: Evidence Old and New." International Journal of American Linguistics, Vol. 34, No. 2 (Apr., 1968), )
Their traditional enemies were the Micmac and the Labrador Eskimos, and for the most part the Beothuk kept to themselves and avoided contact with Europeans, therefore very little is known about them. The tragic story of the Beothuk has attracted a great deal of attention with the idea that the extinction of their people was due to the settlers and fishermen slaughtering them. Given the Beothuk nature of avoiding Europeans, there was relatively no danger of infection from European disease until late in the history of the Beothuk when contacts with Europeans was more frequent. Although some {text:soft-page-break} were killed by the Europeans who resented Beothuk thefts, and some perished due to disease, this was not the major cause of their demise. Their fate was sealed by the growing Micmac presence and English settlement which caused a loss of access to the seals, fish, birds and shellfish.
The resourceful Beothuk found ways to live off the land and sea. Most bands were made up of 7-10 families and would spend the warmer months on the coast. (Hewson, 1968)There, they would catch fish, clams, lobsters, and mussels. They would also hunt harp seals,...