A Visit to the Boyd's Cove Beothuk Interpretation Center, Newfoundland and Labrador
Late in August, we took a trip to Boyd's Cove to visit the Beothuk Interpretation Center. It is an award winning provincial historic site. They do a really good job of telling the story of this now extinct people. For those who like canoes, the reproduction of a seagoing birch bark canoe is fantastic. This is a must visit for anyone going to Fogo or Twillingate and should be on the list for anyone visiting the Island of Newfoundland.
Shaunadithit
As most of us are aware Shaunawdidhit aka, Nancy April was the last of Beothuks who died in St Johns of tuberculosis as reported on June 6, 1829 at the age of 26. As a commemoration to the Centennial of Confederation a permanent Memorial was established in 1967. The monument was suppose to stand as a lasting Memory to Shaunawdidhit last of the Beothuks in Newfoundland. It was established by the Town of Grand Falls, the Province of Newfoundland, and the Government of Canada. It can be viewed in front of the old swimming pool on Cromer Avenue. To most people in Newfoundland and Labrador it is Centennial Field Complex instead of the just and rightful name of Shaunawdidhit Centennial Park. To make right contact;
The Beheading of Michael Turpin (Fogo)
On Fogo Island, in the town of Tilting, there’s a trail that wraps around the coastal part of the community. Here, yellow hills meet rocky cliffs that meet the ocean. It’s a windy stretch of land, but the trail, exposed as it is, is a fine one to walk. It’s called Turpin’s Trail, a name familiar to everyone in the community. In 1809, Michael Turpin lost his head near here.
Though well-documented in history, the story has become legend. Here’s a local version of the legend told by a resident of Tilting, who didn’t grow up here, but has heard incarnations of the story since he arrived. The tale is told from the settler’s perspective, removed in time, but not in space. We can still imagine the tension between the Beothuks, who called this place home, and those who came to the shores and wanted to stay. The trail is dedicated to the memory of Michael Turpin, but has come to symbolize much more. It speaks of the strife of the people who were here before, the strife of the settlers, and now, how we process those encounters: with fascination, remorse, and in appreciation of the calm trail left behind.
The story is told by Paddy Barry, with music by Gardenia (used with permission).
19th-Century Medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador
At the start of the 1800s, Newfoundland and Labrador had little in the way of medical services. In many places, healers had to come from the home and the community. This video explores what medicine was like for people living in Newfoundland and Labrador in the 1800s.