Who were some famous Beothuk Indians?
Portrait of Demasduit A teenage girl named Shawnadithit (also spelled Shanawdithit) was probably the last Beothuk. Starving and alone, Shawnadithit and two female relatives surrendered to the British. The other Beothuk women died, but Shawnadithit lived for six years as an English slave known as “Nancy,” drawing pictures and telling stories of her lost tribe. Shawnadithit’s aunt Demasduit, who died several years earlier, had a more tragic story. Demasduit had just given birth when the British raided her village, and her husband, the Red Indian chief, was killed trying to protect her from capture. Her baby was left behind, and by the time she learned enough English to explain this to the British, the infant had starved to death and Demasduit was fatally ill with tuberculosis. In the face of these hardships, the charm and gentle demeanor of Demasduit and Shawnadithit startled white Newfoundlanders, forcing them to rethink some of their attitudes towards ‘savages.’ Read more about Shawnad
