Beothuk: An algonquin speaking people who were native to the island and Newfoundland.  The beothuk became extinct in the early 19th century due to European expansion.  The Beothuk people dates from approximately 1500 - 1829 AD.  The ancestors of the Beothuk probably met the Vikings on the during the Viking travels to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Maritime provinces approximately 1000 years ago. 

Birka, Sweden:  Birka which is located on an island in Lake Malar was Sweden's largest Viking trading site.  The flat topography, myriad lakes and water courses, and cold winters not only gave viking culture its distinctive northern flavour, but facilitated transportation and trade. Back

Dorset: A specific group of the palaeoeskimo people who probably met the vikings in the high arctic and possibly Northern Labrador.  This group was displaced by the Thule Inuit.  The reason for their dissapearance is still being investigated.  The Dorset people date to approximately 750 BC - 1500 AD.   Back

Inuit: The peoples who are the direct descendants of the Thule groups across Quebec, the high Arctic, Labrador, Greenland and Iceland.  Date to approximately 1500 to present day. 

Innu:  A group of algonquin speaking people who live i communities in Labrador; Sheshatshit and Davis inlet.  Innu people have been in Labrador from approximately 200 AD to present day, and many suggest their existence probably began much more earlier than this. 

Mikmaq: A group of algonquin speaking people whose origin lay in the Maritimes.  There is some controversy regarding how long the mi'kmaq have been settled in Newfoundland, but of settlement from approximately the 16th century AD.  Mi'kmaq ancestors probably met the Vikings on the during the Viking travels to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Maritime provinces approximately 1000 years ago.  Back

Palaeoeskimo: An archeological term used to refer to a large group of peoples who migrated from the Western arctic and who dominated the entire Arctic and sub-arctic before the arrival of the Thule Inuit people.  The palaeoeskimo date to approximately 2050 BC - 1500 AD. 

Ramah Chert:  Ramah Chert is a form of Chert that can only be found in Ramah Bay Labrador.  This form of chert was very valuable to the indian peoples in that it was useful for making stone tools.  Ramah Chert is also translucent which may have conributed to a spiritual connection with this type of Chert.  Tools made from Ramah Chert have been discovered in artifacts of the Dorset Palaeoeskimos, the Recent Indians, and the Micmaq peoples, even though these peoples lived in different areas of North America and that ramah chert can only be found in Ramah Bay Labrador.  This indicates that some sort of trade, either direct or indirect (finding) may have resulted between these peoples. Back

Recent Indian: An archeological term used to refer to a large group of people who once lived in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Recent Indian people are direct ancestors of the algonquin speaking people in Labrador city today (Innu people).  The recent indians date to approximately 200-1500 AD and were living in Newfoundland and Labrador at the time of Viking arrival.  Back

Thule: An archeological term used to refer to a large group of peopleswho lived across Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, and the Arctic.  The Thule originated in Alaska and travelled quickly across the Arctic, dating from 1000-1500 AD.  The Vikings encountered the Thule people in the high arctic and Greenland from 1200 - 1400 AD.  Back