The Social Dynamics of Early Beothuk-European Relations in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston IL

Investigators

Abstract

In the autumn of 1612, John Guy - the newly appointed Governor of Newfoundland's first official colony (Cuper's Cove) - set sail with fellow colonists into Trinity Bay. Guy hoped to make contact with the native inhabitants of the island, the Beothuk Indians, so as to establish a trading relationship with them. After several days of exploring and visiting unoccupied campsites, Guy's expedition finally encountered a small group of Beothuk on November 6th. Although cautious at first, the Beothuk invited the colonists to share a meal with them and gifts were exchanged. Then the two groups parted ways. The colonists must have been pleased with the meeting and optimistic about their chances for establishing a long term and lucrative trading relationship with the natives, but such relations never developed. Within a decade, the Beothuk had retreated to coastal areas north and west of Trinity Bay; a century later they were living in the interior of the island, having been forced from the coast by European fishing activity, settlement and hostilities; and by the middle of the following century they were gone-the "last of the Beothuk" succumbing to tuberculosis in the city of St. John's in 1829. Guy's meeting with the Beothuk marks the end of a critical, but poorly understood period in Native-European relations on the island. This project hopes to uncover new data that will shed light this period through exploratory archaeological excavations at a newly discovered Beothuk site in Trinity Bay. This site was discovered in the summer of 2009, in a location where Guy is thought to have observed "nine savage houses" just days before his famous meeting with the Beothuk. Test excavations in 2009 at this location yielded Beothuk projectile points in association with modified iron nails, worked ballast flint, bottle glass and ceramics that may date to the late sixteenth century. With support from the National Science Foundation, archaeological field work in 2010 will assess the spatial extent and richness of the site, and establish temporal parameters for the Beothuk occupation. The overall aim is to assess whether the site warrants further investigation. If the site proves to be rich, and indeed dates to the time of Guy's voyage, it stands to make a significant contribution to our understanding of early Native-European relations on the island, and perhaps, offer clues as to why such relations deteriorated in the mid-seventeenth century. On a broader level, this work will offer an archaeological perspective on the earliest chapters of European-Native American history in the New World, and a case study for understanding social dimensions of the European colonization effort. The project will include a small team of scientists and undergraduate students from the United States and Canada. Students will benefit from the opportunity to engage in collaborative research and work as part of an international team. Data obtained during this research will be disseminated to other scholars in the field. This research will also reach a broader audience, as the story of the Beothuk Indians figures prominently in the history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Canada. In the event that additional work is warranted, this research could contribute to the further development of historical tourism in the area.