3.6 Worlds Collide NL Studies 2205

Inuit Traded mostly with the French in the 1700s. Traded baleen for clothing, tools, and food. After Britain took control of Labrador in 1763, the British begin to trade exclusively with the Inuit. Due to the efforts of Governor Sir Hugh Palliser, relations with the Intuit improved

Inuit The Moravians, a group of Protestant missionaries, established their first mission and Labrador in 1771. Their goal was to spread Christianity, but they became involved in many aspects of aboriginal life. Many Inuit traditions and customs were lost as a result of this contact.

Inuit However the Moravians did use Inuktitut to converse with the Intuit and established a written form of the language, thus preserving it. Many Intuit succumbed to diseases brought by the Europeans. Many Inuit women intermarried with European men. Their descendants were known as Metis.

Innu The Innu had little contact with the Europeans until the 1800s. The arrival of Europeans in Labrador on a permanent basis began to change the lives of the Innu people. Catholic missionaries and European fur traders influenced Innu culture.

Innu Traditional Innu beliefs were frowned upon by Roman Catholic missionaries that converted the Innu to Christianity. The Innu soon began to adopt Western food, tools, and customs and they began to give up their traditional lifestyle. They also begin to trap furs in exchange for goods. These changes profoundly influenced community ties and Innu cultural practices.

Innu

Beothuk The Beothuks were impacted more than any other group of aboriginal people in Newfoundland and Labrador. European fishers begin to cut the Beothuks people off from their access the sea on the east coast when the migratory fishery began. The Beothuks were forced to move inland and towards the Exploits River and Notre Dame Bay in order to access resources.

Beothuk Almost all contact between the Beothuks people and Europeans led to violent confrontations throughout the late 1700s and the early 1800s. The arrival of permanent settlers to Newfoundland and their settlement of areas along the coast including Notre Dame Bay, cut the Beothuks off from a significant part of their food resources and they were forced to try to live on what they could find in the interior of the island.

Beothuk As a result of being cut off from their food supply and due to disease, the population of the Beothuks began to decline significantly in the early 1800s. In fact, by 1823 it is estimated that approximately 12 to 13 Beothuks ware all that remained alive.

Beothuk Several expeditions were sent out to make contact with the Beothuks people to either befriend them or to capture them in a bizarre effort to force friendship upon then. This simply made the Beothuks more distrustful of the Europeans and often there were violent confrontations such as the capture of Demasduit in 1819 (see next slide).

Beothuk Shanawdithit was found by settlers starving with two other family members who died soon after their discovery. Also known as Nancy April, Shanawdithit lived the rest of her life with European settlers and it is her accounts and drawings that provide us with much of what we know of the Beothuk people. She died in 1829 of Tuberculosis, the last of her people.

Beothuk Read the Case Study on pages 236-239. Then answer the questions at the conclusion of the Case Study.

Mi’kmaq Unlike the Beothuks, the Mi’kmaq had a very close relationship with the Europeans after their arrival. They traded for metal tools, wool, blankets and other manufactured goods. These soon replaced traditional handicrafts and other items. Many Mi’kmaq converted to Roman Catholicism.

Mi’kmaq The Mi’kmaq first begin to arrive on the island’s south coast in the 1600s, but by the early 1800s they had expanded their presence from the south coast to the west coast and beyond. The Mi’kmaq served as guides, explorers, sportsman, trappers, etc. because of their unique knowledge of the island.

Mi’kmaq For example Sylvester Joe lead William Cormack across the island in 1822. Many Mi’kmaq women married European men and begin to live in communities and homes instead of practicing a migratory lifestyle. Their descendants are known as Metis.

Mi’kmaq

Metis Metis is the name given to children and their descendants from any intermarriage between Aboriginal people and Europeans. Most Metis combined elements from each culture into a unique lifestyle which used both Aboriginal and European customs.

Metis For example, the Metis often used Aboriginal trapping and hunting skills, yet they wore clothing that reflected both cultures and constructed housing that was partially European (log cabin) and partially aboriginal (submerged). Most Metis were accepted and welcomed by their aboriginal counterparts. Most Metis were Christian.

Metis

Metis