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Nancy April

"Nancy April" was the English name of the last surviving member of the Beothuk tribe of Newfoundland. Her own name was Shanawdithit, She was given the last name "April" because she was captured in April of 1823, during an attack against the Beothuks by Newfoundland trappers. Nancy April's father was killed during the raid, and she was brought back to the white community of Exploits as a captive. After learning English there, Nancy was able to tell the settlers her story and that of her people. When she attempted to return to her community, however, she tragically found that there was no one there left alive. Nancy April was the last of her tribe.

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Here are links to our webpages about Nancy April and the Beothuk Indians:

Shanawdithit
Red Indians
Beothuk religion
Nancy April and the Red Indian tribe
Beothuk numbers
Algonkian
First Nation of Canada
Subarctic region

Here are a few good books about Nancy April and the Beothuks:
The Ballad of Nancy April: Shawnadithit
History and Ethnography of the Beothuks
The Last of the Beothuk: A Canadian Tragedy

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