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Beothuk: How Story Made a People (Almost) Disappear
The well-known story of the Beothuk is that they were an isolated people who, through conflict with Newfoundland settlers and Mi’kmaq, were made extinct in 1829. Narratives about the disappearance of the Beothuk and the reasons for their supposed extinction soon became entrenched in historical accounts and the popular imagination.
*Beothuk *explores how the history of a people has been misrepresented by the stories of outsiders writing to serve their own interests – from Viking sagas to the accounts of European explorers to the work of early twentieth-century anthropologists. Drawing on narrative theory and the philosophy of history, Christopher Aylward lays bare the limitations of the accepted Beothuk story, which perpetuated but could never prove the notion of Beothuk extinction. Only with the integration of Indigenous perspectives, beginning in the 1920s, was this accepted story seriously questioned. With the accumulation of new sources and methods – archaeological evidence, previously unexplored British and French accounts, Mi’kmaq oral history, and the testimonies of Labrador Innu and Beothuk descendants – a new historical reality has emerged.
Rigorous and compelling, Beothuk demonstrates the enduring power of stories to shape our understanding of the past and the impossibility of writing Indigenous history without Indigenous storytellers.
*Beothuk *explores how the history of a people has been misrepresented by the stories of outsiders writing to serve their own interests – from Viking sagas to the accounts of European explorers to the work of early twentieth-century anthropologists. Drawing on narrative theory and the philosophy of history, Christopher Aylward lays bare the limitations of the accepted Beothuk story, which perpetuated but could never prove the notion of Beothuk extinction. Only with the integration of Indigenous perspectives, beginning in the 1920s, was this accepted story seriously questioned. With the accumulation of new sources and methods – archaeological evidence, previously unexplored British and French accounts, Mi’kmaq oral history, and the testimonies of Labrador Innu and Beothuk descendants – a new historical reality has emerged.
Rigorous and compelling, Beothuk demonstrates the enduring power of stories to shape our understanding of the past and the impossibility of writing Indigenous history without Indigenous storytellers.
312 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2024
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 1, 2025
Fascinating book. Still processing, but it’s a much needed counterpoint to the Indigenous colonial narrative that characterizes Newfoundland history. Having grown up with NF curriculum I was taught that the Beothuks went extinct and that was that. It is so important to get these stories out there.
I find it exceedingly interesting that the author, despite heavily critiquing the bias of white men writing about history, fails to acknowledge his own positionality. There’s a short sentence at the end that acknowledges the possibility for bias, but… isn’t this still a book written about Indigenous people by another white man? I mean, kudos for writing it and all, but, we can take it from here, thanks.
I find it exceedingly interesting that the author, despite heavily critiquing the bias of white men writing about history, fails to acknowledge his own positionality. There’s a short sentence at the end that acknowledges the possibility for bias, but… isn’t this still a book written about Indigenous people by another white man? I mean, kudos for writing it and all, but, we can take it from here, thanks.
October 5, 2024
I found the information interesting (but not surprising cause of course white settlers misunderstood what was happening) but the writing is very academic and doesn't flow well. Apparently the author previously made a documentary about the subject titled The Beothuk Story.
January 16, 2026
i appreciate the scholarly value in this book. it is an important addition to the literature. with that said, the part i find interesting starts at part 4 around page 122. the start is overview i have read before.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews