...In 1497,
John Cabot arrived to explore the coast of
Newfoundland and
Labrador. That was the start of the European invasion. Adventurers came from Britain, France, Spain and Portugal to catch the bounty of fish offered by the Grand Banks.
As well as the fish, they also captured many Beothuk and took them back to Europe as slaves. When the French established settlements along the coast, the Beothuk retaliated by stealing from them. Another Native tribe,
the Micmac, became allies of the French. Because of the harassment from the Beothuk, the French hired the Micmac for protection. Rumors say that the French paid a bounty to the Micmac for Beothuk scalps, but there is no proof of this.
However, because of the infiltration of the Europeans, the Beothuk were forced to move inland, away from their usual food supply. The British also settled along the coast, and began warring over the land that, in truth, belonged to the Beothuk.
Because of the hardships they endured trying to live away from their natural habitation, and because the Europeans murdered them on sight, the Beothuk numbers gradually decreased. Of the original 5000 and probably more living in Newfoundland when the Vikings arrived, only an estimated 2000 remained in the 16th century. By the early 19th century, no Beothuks remained. Some may have fled to the north to live with the Inuit. Others may have joined with the Abernaki and Montagnais to the south. But many more died of starvation or were murdered...
http://canadianhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_brothuk
