The demise of the Beothuk – a crime against humanity
On June 12, 1829, the Public Ledger reported: “Died on Saturday night the 6th at the Hospital, Sha-na-dith-it, the female Indian, one of the (aboriginals) of the Island. She died of consumption…”
On Sept. 14, 1829, William Cormack wrote in the London Times: “Died — At St. John’s, Newfoundland on the 6th of June last in the 29th year of her life, (Shanawdithit), supposed to be the last of the Red Indians or Beothuks. This interesting female lived in captivity among the English.… Thus died a primitive nation, one claiming rank as a portion of the human race, who have lived, flourished and become extinct in their own orbit. They have been dislodged, and disappeared from the earth…”
According to James Howley, Shanawdithit was buried in the Church of England Cemetery on the south side of St. John’s and her interment is recorded in the parish records of the cathedral.
We don’t seem to pay as much attention to the Beothuk as we should. They are not integrated into our history but are rather a footnote. In addition, they were not the only Indigenous Peoples who became extinct following the arrival of the Europeans. At least seven tribes in North America are no longer with us, plus some on other continents.
Their demise was just a segment of the devastation wreaked by the invasion of nations from Europe. The numbers who died were in the millions and the destruction of their civilizations we would now call a crime against humanity. University College London research claims that the presence of Europeans by 1600 had contributed to 56 million deaths in their overseas colonization.
There has been much written about the effect of the European invasion on other civilizations. In her book “Silver, Sword and Stone: The Story of Latin America in Three Extraordinary Lives,”
Maria Arana alleges that greed, violence and proselytization fuelled the imperialist adventure of the west. The trio of God, gold and glory led to the conquest, enslavement and economic dominance of most of the globe between the 16th and 20th centuries.
This was supported by the church in issuing the “doctrine of discovery” which claimed that Christians had a divine mandate to occupy lands that were not “Christian,” which thus legitimized colonization. This doctrine was finalized by a papal bull issued by Pope Alexander in 1493. At its peak, European nations controlled most of the world. Although there is no longer that control, its spirit still pervades the world economy and politics, particularly in the way we still treat Indigenous Peoples.
The demise of the Beothuk coincided with the encroachment of the Europeans, depriving them of their food supply, bringing diseases and deadly conflict. Our predecessors share responsibility for what happened.
What is our responsibility? The question will be raised, “How can I be responsible for what happened in the past?”
Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote: “There is only one way to salvation, and that is to make yourself responsible for all men’s sins. As soon as you make yourself responsible for everyone and everything, you will at once know that this is really so.”
Pope Paul John II echoed this declaration: “Solidarity is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.”
The reality is that we now occupy the land on which the Beothuk once lived. We are the only ones who can make amends. Somehow, we, as a province, need to lament their disappearance. Perhaps some forum like a truth and reconciliation arrangement could be put in place to examine how it happened and how we can relate to this tragedy.
One of the stories which has influenced how we relate to each other is the biblical account of Cain and Abel. From it comes the oft-quoted question of Cain: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Equally important but less known are the words of God: “Listen; your brother’s blood is calling out to me from the ground.”
Our predecessors share responsibility for what happened.