Shanawdithit

Shanawdithit known as also Nancy April , last representing known nation of the Béothuks. Captured in April 1823 close to the village of Twillingate by two trappers, James Carey and Stephen Adams. It was accompanied by two other women, one, older, and a called young girl Easter Eve. The three women were led to the house of John Peyton, in Exploits Island.

Oldest forty years had but showed signs premature ageing. Easter Eve and 24 years old, seemed seriously sick, attack with the lungs. Shanawdithit, called Nancy April (since captured in April) seemed in good health but carried the scars of several wounds by firearm… Easter the Eve and oldest of the women (her mother) died a little later probably of tuberculosis.

There remained only Nancy April, Shanawdithit of its true name. It remained several years with Peyton, semi-maidservant, semi-member of the family, carrying out domestic tasks in the house. His/her partners of work noticed her great skill to draw and carve. Shanawdithit remained five years at John Peyton. Unfortunately, this one took very few notes on what the young woman told him. Unless these notes were lost. They are visitors who transcribed information that Peyton repeated to them.

The young woman was possibly put on a boat in direction of St John' S, where it unloaded on September 20th 1828. At once arrived at St-John' S, one hastened to make it vaccinate against the Variole. It was known that this disease made devastations at the autochtones. The prisoner was then placed in William E. Cormack, founder of Beothick Institution” organism in charge to try to make contact with Béothuks peacefully. It gave him English lessons so that she can be expressed with a reasonable precision and provides him pencils and paper. She produced several drawings telling her own life and that of her people. She became the independent source available to the historians on Béothuks. Cormack undoubtedly noted all that “Nancy” said to him on the lifestyle of Béothuks and its personal history. Unfortunately, these notes were never published and their author never finished the work which he wanted to write on the history of the first inhabitants of Newfoundland. There remains about it only one score of pages, which are all that remains immense quantity of information that the young woman was to have. Many drawings which it made, only some were preserved. Shanawdithit made also some demonstrations of craft industry béothuk and, in particular, manufactured a traditional dress… which one is unaware of today where it can be well.

Shanawdithit died of the Tuberculose on June 6th 1829. Doctor Carson examine post-mortem and, finding that the cranium of the dead showed certain particular characteristics, it off dispatched it with the Royal College Physicians, in London, for thorough studies. In 1938, it was transferred to the Royal College off Suckers. During the Second world war, a bombardment of the Luftwaffe destroyed this vestige of the last of Béothuks. The remainder of its body was buried in the old cemetery located of the southern part of St John' S… which was destroyed in 1903 to leave the place to the railroad. A commemorative plaque indicates today where its tomb was.

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