Beothuk remains returned to Newfoundland after 191 years in Scotland

The remains of a Beothuk couple who were taken from a gravein central Newfoundland and sent to Scotland almosttwocenturiesago have been returned to their home province.

The skulls of Nonosabasut and Demasduit were repatriated at a sombre ceremony Wednesday evening at The Rooms, the province'sarchiveand museumin St. John's.

"This is for me a sacred moment in our history," said Chief Mi'sel Joeof the MiawpukekFirst Nationin Conne River, who began the campaign to return the remains about five years ago.

Premier Dwight Ball and leaders from the province's five Indigenous groups were at the ceremony.

"Just a few hours ago the remains arrived here at The Rooms," said Ball. "After almost 200 years they are finally home."

Remains takenby Scottish explorer

Demasduit was kidnapped by a European fur trapper in March 1819, in retaliationfor an allegedtheft by her tribe.

Nonosabasut was killedas he tried to rescue his wife, who was given the nameMary March by her English captors.

The killing and capture came at a time when the number of Beothuk people were dwindling, and the group was on the verge of extinction.

Demasduitwas taken to Twillingate, and later to St. John's, where she lived with her captor, John Peyton Jr.

She died of tuberculosis in January 1820, and was returned to Beothuk land to be buried at Red Indian Lake, where Nonosabasutwas also buried.

Years later,WilliamCormack, a Scottish-educated Newfoundlandexplorer, retrieved the two skulls and some grave items, which eventually made their way to Edinburgh.

They'realmost home. They're not quite home yet. They are in this museum.- Mi'sel Joe

Demasduit and Nonosabasut were aunt and uncle to Shanawdithit, traditionally described as the last known Beothuk. Shanawdithit died in June 1829 in St. John's, also of tuberculosis.

'Reminder of what colonialism can do'

At the ceremony,NunatuKavutpresident Todd Russell asked people to remember how the Beothuk Nation disappeared.

"Reflect upon this sad and tragic and horrific period in our history and how that came to be in any day, in any age, is unacceptable. It is a stark reminder of what colonialism can do and has done," he said.

Joe began the push to have the Beothuk remains returnedin 2015.

In February 2016, Ball wrote National Museums Scotlandto request the return of the remains, but that request was denied. The museum said it didn'tmeet criteria set out in Scottish legislation for the repatriation of remains. Itsaid itwould only return remains to direct descendants.

Mlanie Joly, who was the federal heritage minister at the time, notifiedthe director of National Museums Scotland that Canada wouldmakea formal demand for the remains in August 2016.

Leaders representing all Indigenous groups in Newfoundland and Labrador signed a letter requesting the return of the remains in May 2017.

On Wednesday evening, JoethankedBall for helping to bring the Beothuk remains back to Newfoundland, but he gently corrected Ball's assertion that theyare now home. Joe would like the remains to be reburied, but in such a way that they can't be disturbed again.

"They'realmost home. They're not quite home yet," he said."They are in this museum. I know that we have a long way to go and we have a long discussion to take place and I'm sure it's not going to be easy discussions, but we will get there."

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