How did shawnadithit die
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SHAWNADITHIT (Nancy, Nance April), Beothuk; b. c. 1801, daughter of Doodebewshet; d. 6 June 1829 in St John’s.
Shawnadithit was the last known survivor of the Beothuks or Red Indians, the aboriginals of Newfoundland. A member of one of their small and rapidly dwindling family groups, she was the niece of Demasduwit*’s husband, Nonosbawsut. As a child and young girl she witnessed several of the final documented encounters between her people and expeditions dispatched or authorized by the British and colonial officials to establish friendly relations; as herself a captive, she was the source of much of what is known about the customs, language, and last days of her people.
In January 1811 she was present at the meeting on the shore of Red Indian Lake with Lieutenant David Buchan* and his party which ended in tragic misunderstanding. In the summer of 1818 she was with the Indians who pilfered John Peyton Jr’s salmon boat and cargo at Lower Sandy Point, on the Bay of Exploits. She observed the capture of Demasduwit and the killing of
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Disappearance of the Beothuk
(The following article reflected the best scholarship in 2008, and since then additional research has revealed new perspectives. Some information is also now out of date and should be used cautiously. The Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Website is committed to updating these articles as resources allow.
Related Articles: For other related articles view the Indigenous Peoples Table of Contents Beothuk section.)
In April 1823, a group of Newfoundland fur trappers encountered three Beothuk women at Badger Bay – a mother, Doodebewshet, and her two daughters, Easter Eve (her Beothuk name is unknown) and Shanawdithit. The women were in a starving condition and had journeyed from the island's interior in search of mussels. Although Shanawdithit seemed otherwise in good health, her mother and sister were sick with tuberculosis and died shortly after the men brought them to Exploits Island. Shanawdithit estimated that no more than 15 people were left in her tribe.
Spirit of the Beothuk by Gerry Squires, 2005
This life-sized bronze statue of Shanawd
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Shanawdithit
Beothuk woman
Shanawdithit | |
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A beothuk woman (ca. 1841) believed to be Shanawdithit, though possibly a reproduction of a portrait of Demasduit. | |
Born | Shanawdithit ca. 1801 Newfoundland |
Died | June 6, 1829 (aged 27–28) St. John's, Newfoundland |
Cause of death | Tuberculosis |
Other names | Shawnadithit, Shawnawdithit, Nancy April |
Known for | last Beothuk |
Shanawdithit (ca. 1801 – June 6, 1829), also noted as Shawnadithit, Shawnawdithit, Nancy April and Nancy Shanawdithit, was the last known living member of the Beothuk people, who inhabited Newfoundland, Canada. Remembered for her contributions to the historical understanding of Beothuk culture, including drawings depicting interactions with European settlers, Shanawdithit died of tuberculosis in St. John's, Newfoundland on June 6, 1829.[1]
Early life with the Beothuk
Shanawdithit was born near a large lake on the island of Newfoundland in about 1801.[2]: 233 At the time the Beothuk population was dw
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