Shanawdithit
Encyclopedia
Shanawdithit also noted as Shawnadithititis, Shawnawdithit, Nancy April and Nancy Shanawdithit, was the last known living member of the Beothuk
people of Newfoundland, Canada
. Also remembered for drawings she made towards the end of her life, Shawnawdithit was in her late twenties when she died of tuberculosis
in St. John's, Newfoundland.
s against which they had little or no immunity. The Beothuks were also slowly being cut off from the sea, which was a one of their food sources. Beothuks had long avoided Europeans. Trappers and furriers regarded the Beothuks as thieves and would sometimes attack them. As a child Shanawdithit was shot by a white trapper while washing venison
in a river. She suffered from the injury for some time, but recovered.
In 1819 Shanawdithit's aunt Demasduwit
was taken by the British and the few remaining Beothuks fled. In the spring of 1823 Shanawdithit lost her father, who died after falling through ice. Most of her extended family had died from starvation, illness, exposure and British attacks. Sick and hungry, Shanawdithit, her mother and sister sought help from nearby trapper William Cull and the three women were taken to St. John's, Newfoundland
, where Shanawdithit's mother and sister died of tuberculosis
.
, a Scots
emigrant, Newfoundland entrepreneur
and philanthropist
. He founded the Beothuk Institution to study the tribe and drew funds from it to help support Shanawdithit. He recorded much of what she told him about her people and added notes to her drawings. Shanawdithit stayed in Cormack's care until early 1829. The government hoped she would become a bridge to her people, but she refused to leave with any expedition, saying the Beothuks would kill anyone who had been with the Europeans, as a kind of religious sacrifice and redemption for those who had been killed.
Cormack left Newfoundland and returned to Great Britain where he stayed for some time in Liverpool
with John McGregor, a Scot whom he had known in Canada, sharing many of his materials on the Beothuks. Shanawdithit was cared for by of the attorney general, James Simms. She spent the last nine months of her life at his home, having been in frail health for a number of years. William Carson
tended her but in 1829 Shanawdithit died in a St John's hospital after her long fight with tuberculosis.
in London
for study. The rest of her body was buried in the graveyard of St. Mary the Virgin Church on the south side of St. John's, Newfoundland. In 1938 the Royal College of Physicians gave her skull to the Royal College of Surgeons
. It was lost in the German Blitz bombing of London
in World War II
.
Meanwhile in 1903 the church graveyard had been lost to railway construction. The church was torn down in 1963. A monument on the site reads: This monument marks the site of the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin during the period 1859 - 1963. Fishermen and sailors from many ports found a spiritual haven within its hallowed walls. Near this spot is the burying place of Nancy Shanawdithit, very probably the last of the Beothuks, who died on June 6, 1829.
Shanawdithit is widely known among Newfoundlanders. In 1851 a local paper, the Newfoundlander, called her "a princess of Terra Nova." In 1999 The Telegram
readers voted her the most notable aboriginal person of the past 1,000 years. She had 57% of the votes.
Beothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
people of Newfoundland, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Also remembered for drawings she made towards the end of her life, Shawnawdithit was in her late twenties when she died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Early life with the Beothuk
Shanawdithit was born near a large lake on the island of Newfoundland in about 1801, a time when the Beothuk population was dwindling. Their traditional way of life was affected by encroaching European settlements on the island and they also suffered from European diseaseInfectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
s against which they had little or no immunity. The Beothuks were also slowly being cut off from the sea, which was a one of their food sources. Beothuks had long avoided Europeans. Trappers and furriers regarded the Beothuks as thieves and would sometimes attack them. As a child Shanawdithit was shot by a white trapper while washing venison
Venison
Venison is the meat of a game animal, especially a deer but also other animals such as antelope, wild boar, etc.-Etymology:The word derives from the Latin vēnor...
in a river. She suffered from the injury for some time, but recovered.
In 1819 Shanawdithit's aunt Demasduwit
Demasduwit
Demasduit was a Beothuk woman, one of the last of her people on the island of Newfoundland, Canada.She was born near the end of the 18th century. The Beothuk were openly hostile to Europeans, and violent conflict between the two groups were common. The conflicts usually took more Beothuks than...
was taken by the British and the few remaining Beothuks fled. In the spring of 1823 Shanawdithit lost her father, who died after falling through ice. Most of her extended family had died from starvation, illness, exposure and British attacks. Sick and hungry, Shanawdithit, her mother and sister sought help from nearby trapper William Cull and the three women were taken to St. John's, Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, where Shanawdithit's mother and sister died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
.
Later life with the British
The British renamed Shanawdithit Nancy April and took her to Exploits Island where she worked as a servant in the household of John Peyton Jr and learned some English. Beginning in September 1828 she lived for some time in the household of William Eppes CormackWilliam Cormack
William Epps Cormack was a Scottish explorer, philanthropist, agriculturalist and author, born St. John’s, Newfoundland. Cormack was the first European to journey across the interior of the island....
, a Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
emigrant, Newfoundland entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
. He founded the Beothuk Institution to study the tribe and drew funds from it to help support Shanawdithit. He recorded much of what she told him about her people and added notes to her drawings. Shanawdithit stayed in Cormack's care until early 1829. The government hoped she would become a bridge to her people, but she refused to leave with any expedition, saying the Beothuks would kill anyone who had been with the Europeans, as a kind of religious sacrifice and redemption for those who had been killed.
Cormack left Newfoundland and returned to Great Britain where he stayed for some time in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
with John McGregor, a Scot whom he had known in Canada, sharing many of his materials on the Beothuks. Shanawdithit was cared for by of the attorney general, James Simms. She spent the last nine months of her life at his home, having been in frail health for a number of years. William Carson
William Carson
Sir William Carson , often called "The Great Reformer", was an important doctor and businessman in Newfoundland. Carson's primary contribution to Newfoundland was the application of modern agricultural principles....
tended her but in 1829 Shanawdithit died in a St John's hospital after her long fight with tuberculosis.
Following her death
St John's hospital gave Shanawdithit's skull to the Royal College of PhysiciansRoyal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for study. The rest of her body was buried in the graveyard of St. Mary the Virgin Church on the south side of St. John's, Newfoundland. In 1938 the Royal College of Physicians gave her skull to the Royal College of Surgeons
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
. It was lost in the German Blitz bombing of London
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Meanwhile in 1903 the church graveyard had been lost to railway construction. The church was torn down in 1963. A monument on the site reads: This monument marks the site of the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin during the period 1859 - 1963. Fishermen and sailors from many ports found a spiritual haven within its hallowed walls. Near this spot is the burying place of Nancy Shanawdithit, very probably the last of the Beothuks, who died on June 6, 1829.
Shanawdithit is widely known among Newfoundlanders. In 1851 a local paper, the Newfoundlander, called her "a princess of Terra Nova." In 1999 The Telegram
The Telegram
The Telegram is a daily newspaper published in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:The Evening Telegram was first published on April 3, 1879 by William James Herder. It adopted its current name in 1998, although it was also briefly published under this name in 1881...
readers voted her the most notable aboriginal person of the past 1,000 years. She had 57% of the votes.
See also
- Notable Aboriginal people of CanadaNotable Aboriginal people of CanadaOver the course of centuries, many Aboriginal Canadians have played a critical role in shaping the history of Canada. From art and music, to law and government, to sports and war; Aboriginal customs and culture have had a strong influences on defining Canadian culture...
- List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador
External links
- "Shanawdithit", Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- James P. Howley, F.G.S., "Drawings by Shanawdithit", The Beothucks or Red Indians: The Aboriginal Inhabitants of Newfoundland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1915, Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador Website
- Appendix: "Letter from the Lordbishop of Nova Scotia", Society for Propagation of the Gospel (SPG) Annual Report 1827. London: S.P.G. and C. & J. Rivington, 1828: 85-88, Memorial University of Newfoundland & Labrador Website