Beothuks
By: Kate and Jenna
Ms. Fitzgerald
Fed. 15, 2016
BEOTHUKS
• The Beothuk lived in Newfoundland. Even though there aren’t any living
Beothuk on Earth, we still have a lot of information about them. The last
living Beothuk was named Shanawdithit. She died in 1829, and she helped
scientists find out more about her people. Let us tell you more about the
Beothuk.
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Shanawdithit
TRANSPORTATION
• The Beothuk created a canoe with high-pointed ends, which protected
passengers from sea spray. The canoe was made using a wooden frame
covered with caribou skins sewn to, so it was watertight. The canoes were
sturdy and were used to travel through large rivers and in the open Atlantic
Ocean. The Beothuk also designed snowshoes for the harsh Newfoundland
winter.
DWELLINGS
• In the summer, the Beothuk constructed mamateeks, which are cone-shaped,
and are covered with layers of birch bark and moss. In the winter, Beothuk
built bigger mamateeks that were insulated by piling soil around the outside
base, and they covered them with animal skins. Beothuk also created other
buildings, like smoke houses, to dry meat, and storage houses, where the
meat was kept in birch rind boxes for the winter.
FOOD
• In summer, the Beothuk ate the following food:
• Seals
• Sea Birds
• Salmon
• Small mammals
• In winter, the Beothuk ate the
following food:
• Caribou/smaller furry animals
• Winter birds
• Shellfish
• Bird’s Eggs
• And edible berries and plants
They also iced fished for food in the
winter.
WEAPONS AND TOOLS
• The Beothuk were very good at creating sharp-edged tools like arrowheads and sear
tips from chert. Beothuk used a long spear called amina, which they used for hunting
caribou. They also used weirs to guide fish to a pool, so then it would be easy to
spear the fish. Also, the Beothuk designed a harpoon that they called a-a-duth to hunt
seals, and used bows and arrows to hunt sea birds.
CLOTHING
Beothuk lived in the interior of Newfoundland in winter, but there, its VERY
cold. So, they crafted a warm coat by sewing caribou skins together with the fur
turned inside. Also, large collars with lined fur from smaller animals were used
for hats. The Beothuk women used fur-lined hoods for carrying babies.
MEDICINE
Beothuks used natural methods to stay healthy. To treat stomach pains, they
used a drink made from the rind of dogberry trees. For a sore neck or head, the
Beothuks mixed iron oxide and oil, which was rubbed over the affected place.
They also made vapor baths, similar to a sauna, to treat diseases like
rheumatism. Covered frames were placed over a pile of fire-heated stones,
and then water was poured on the stones to create steam.
this is a picture of a dogwood tree
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INTERESTING FACTS
DID YOU KNOW…
Beothuks did not live in Labrador. They are only known to live in Newfoundland
The Beothuks knew which plants and berries were poisonous
Shanawdithit (the last living Beothuk on Earth) drew beautiful drawings so that we
could learn more about the Beothuks
Shanadithit’s drawings
Conclusion
• I am very happy that I choose the Beothuk for this presentation. They were
very interesting, and I learned a lot. They gave us a lot of information. We
really enjoyed this time. I hope you did too!
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