St. John's ceremony puts spotlight on Shanawdithit for Indigenous Peoples Day

Dozens of activists gathered in a St. John's park early Thursday morning to welcome summer, celebrate Indigenous culture — and call for a local statue to honour the last member of the Beothuk. 

In a brief ceremony at Bannerman Park in downtown St. John's, participants formed a circle around a square monument that was built years ago to mark the death in 1829 of Shanawdithit, who related much of what is known about the Beothuk. 

• Call for statue in St. John's to remember Shanawdithit, last of her people

Activists have been campaigning for a statue to be built in St. John's to honour Shanawdithit — and have noted that the city is filled with prominent monuments to European explorers like John Cabot and Gaspar Corte-Real. 

St. John's celebrates National Indigenous Peoples day

7 years ago

Duration 0:41

Dozens of activists gathered in a St. John's park early Thursday morning to welcome summer and celebrate Indigenous culture

Shanawdithit died in St. John's at 28, after contracting tuberculosis. She is buried on the south side of St. John's harbour. A small plaque is erected near a water treatment facility. 

A statue of Shanawdithit was unveiled 18 years ago in Boyd's Cove, a central Newfoundland community that is known to have been frequently used by the Beothuk. 

During Thursday's brief ceremony, participants laid tobacco as a sign of respect on the monument ot Shanawdithit, and listened to a speech by an elder as well as a poetry reading. 

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