I think that the Beothuk’s extinction had an impact over the Tsilhqot’in people. We see the Beothuk’s strive for complete independence from the immigrating people and do everything in their power to maintain their tribes identity.
“At this time the Beothuk had no means or understanding of documentation because they had withdrawn their group from the burgeoning world. Both articles agree that Beothuk primarily failed due to their withdrawal from European communication, or “avoidance model”[1]. Their evasion towards assimilation was a surprise to many, and strongly sustained through all the people; they were quite literally, their own group of people in their own territory.” (Reading Log #3)
[1] Holly, “Beothuk on the Eve of Their Extinction” p. 83.
My interpretation of the Chilcotin War was a lack of communication, which then led to murder by the Tsilhqot’in people, and I think these extreme measures were thought as the only way for them to survive. From the Beothuk’s example, excluding themselves was more than likely to end in failure, so they had to communicate– and Canadian ignorance towards Indigenous people may have made violence a last resort. In my opinion, I think the Tsilhqot’in people wanted be a thriving tribe and therefore made themselves known to show that they were not going to be taken down like other tribes by immigrant; I believe they were taking a stand to show their power and ownership over the land.
This an example of learning from the past. The past does not need to be centuries ago… It can be only 30, like this scenario. The Beothuk’s became extinct due to their avoidance of adaption; therefore the Tsilhqot’in people had to come up with a new solution. It may not have been the right way to deal with the situation, but again many tribes after that learned from their actions as well. This cycle continues on into today; Indigenous people do not kill of white Canadian’s when they have a problem, they communicate– talk and make their worries known. Communication between Indigenous people and Canadian’s was a problem for centuries, and today we have grasped that notion and changed it– we have learned from history.
