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History Native American

Tracing Ochre

Changing Perspectives on the Beothuk

edited by Fiona Polack

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
May 2018
Category
Native American, Native American Studies, General, Cultural
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781442628427
    Publish Date
    May 2018
    List Price
    $46.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781442650466
    Publish Date
    May 2018
    List Price
    $106.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442623866
    Publish Date
    Jun 2018
    List Price
    $46.95

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Description

The supposed extinction of the Indigenous Beothuk people of Newfoundland in the early nineteenth century is a foundational moment in Canadian history. Increasingly under scrutiny, non-Indigenous perceptions of the Beothuk have had especially dire and far-reaching ramifications for contemporary Indigenous people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

 

Tracing Ochre reassesses popular beliefs about the Beothuk. Placing the group in global context, Fiona Polack and a diverse collection of contributors juxtapose the history of the Beothuk with the experiences of other Indigenous peoples outside of Canada, including those living in former British colonies as diverse as Tasmania, South Africa, and the islands of the Caribbean. Featuring contributions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous thinkers from a wide range of scholarly and community backgrounds, Tracing Ochre aims to definitively shift established perceptions of a people who were among the first to confront European colonialism in North America.

About the author

Fiona Polack is an associate professor in the Department of English at Memorial University.

Fiona Polack's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"The mournful story of the "last of the Boethuks"" still resonates as part of Newfoundland history. The fourteen authors in the wide-ranging collection Tracing Ochre assess this story’s impact and credibility, including accounts from archaeologists, literary critics, and historians."

Canadian Literature, July 12, 2019 (web)