P is for Puffin: A Newfoundland and Labrador Alphabet

P is for Puffin: A Newfoundland and Labrador Alphabet — page 5
the first Brave were never afraid Living in the central region the Beothuks and their ancestors can be traced back more than 1 000 years During the sum mer they lived on the coast where fish were plentiful As winter approached they travelled inland following the Exploits River to the hunting grounds The Beothuks were Algonkian speaking and they called themselves Red Indians They painted their faces and bodies with a mixture of red ocre and grease This was their mark of tribal identity and the very first coat was applied to their new born babies Described as trustworthy and proud the Beothuks became extinct in 1829 The last known Beothuk was a young woman named Shanawdithit There are still several groups or bands of aboriginal people of Mi kmaq origin scattered throughout western and central Newfoundland In 1972 the Federation of Newfoundland Indians was officially formed Known along the Northern Peninsula as Florence Nightingale of the North Myra Bennett also begins with B For 50 years she was the sole health provider for the entire isolated coast Besides nursing she practiced midwifery dentistry and