Thought to be extinct, Beothuk DNA is still present in N.L. families, genetics researcher finds – CBC
New research suggests Beothuk may be connected to other Indigenous peoples
May 08, 2020
A St. John’s genetics specialist has found DNA connections that link the Beothuk people to contemporary people, almost two centuries after the last known Beothuk died.
Steve Carr, a biology professor at Memorial University, says that his research also shows that the genetic material of the ancient Maritime Archaic people still exists to this day, centuries after they disappeared from places like Port au Choix, on Newfoundland’s west coast.
Shanawdithit, the last known member of the Beothuk people, died in 1829. The Beothuk have long been described as extinct, but Carr says a more accurate phrasing is culturally extinct, as the science of DNA is now reshaping the story.
For years, Indigenous people in Newfoundland — including the Mi’kmaq — have maintained they are related to the Beothuk.
Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/beothuk-dna-steven-carr-1.5559913
