Beothuk

Beothuk

▪ people
      North American Indian tribe of hunters and gatherers that resided on the island of Newfoundland; their language, Beothukan, may be related to Algonquian, but some authorities believe it to have been an independent language. When discovered by John Cabot in 1497 the tribe probably numbered no more than 500 persons; in the succeeding centuries the Beothuk were decimated by Europeans and by Mi'kmaq (Micmac) hunters crossing from Nova Scotia. A few survivors may have escaped to Labrador to intermarry with the Innu (Montagnais).

      Little is known of Beothuk culture. The people were apparently divided into small bands of a few related families, each band having its own leader. Their skill as canoeists was noted by many early writers; they speared seals with primitive harpoons and fished for salmon and shellfish. Equally at home in the woods, they tracked deer with bow and arrow. Birch bark was used to make cooking vessels and wigwams. They smeared red ochre on their skin, apparently for both religious reasons and protection against insects; this habit is thought to be the source of the European reference to Native Americans as “red” people.

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  • Beothuk — Ehemaliges Wohngebiet der Beothuk Die Beothuk waren ein vermutlich Algonkin sprechendes indianisches Volk auf der Insel Neufundland vor der Ostküste Nordamerikas. Die letzten Beothuk lebten zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts und sind möglicherweise… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Beothuk — The Beothuk (IPAEng|biˈɒθʊk) (also spelled Boeothuck, Beothuck, Boethuk, Boeothuk, and Boethuck) were the native inhabitants of the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries. They became officially… …   Wikipedia

  • Beothuk — Béothuks Territoire tribal des Béothuks Les Béothuks ( …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Béothuk — Béothuks Territoire tribal des Béothuks Les Béothuks ( …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beothuk (langue) — Béothuks Territoire tribal des Béothuks Les Béothuks ( …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beothuk language — The Beothuk language (also called Beothukan) was spoken by the indigenous Beothuk people of Newfoundland. As the Beothuk are extinct and few written accounts of their language exist, little is known about it. It is sometimes assumed to be part of …   Wikipedia

  • Béothuk (langue) — Répartition de la langue béothuk La langue Béothuk était parlée par les indigènes de Terre Neuve. Leur langue est peu connue car les Béothuks sont éteints depuis 1829 et peu d écrits de leur langue existent. On suppose parfois qu elle est une… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beothuk — ISO 639 3 Code : bue ISO 639 2/B Code : ISO 639 2/T Code : ISO 639 1 Code : Scope : Individual Language Type : Extinct …   Names of Languages ISO 639-3

  • beothuk — be·o·thuk …   English syllables

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