Colonialism
The novel chronicles 19th-century European settlers arriving in Newfoundland and asserting their dominance over the natives. The colonialist's activities threaten the very existence of the tribes that live and survive on these lands. The Europeans lack all knowledge of the natives as they go on their business of discovering new lands for the Crown Majesty. John Peyton, his father and other settlers over fish in the waters that the Beothuk and Mi’kmaq tribes live on. The actions of the white settlers are disrespectful as they move through native holy grounds without much disregard for the significance they hold to the people. They claim the coast lands of Newfoundland and recognize them as the property of the Majesty Crown without consulting the natives. Filled with their European ideologies, the settlers enforce their way of life to the natives without much care for the repercussions. These intrusions further fuel outrageous acts like the enslavement of those individuals considered inferior by the white settlers. Despite the disadvantages that come with the white settlers, different cultures come together and link in marriage, thus forming everlasting bonds. Reilly marries a Mi’kmaq woman. Their bond promotes the idea of coexistence. Unfortunately, most white settlers would rather segregate themselves from the natives than coexist.
Murder & Violence
Before the Europeans arrived, the Beothuk and the Mi’kmaq tribes are constantly enraged in murderous confrontations which leave most of them dead. They battled over fishing waters and land which are essential to both their survival. The cost of these constant raids is their extinction, and the arrival of the white settlers further escalates it. The Europeans seek to inhabit the new lands they’ve supposedly discovered. They, however, cannot inhabit lands that don’t belong to them. Their solution is to eradicate the native people from those lands and take them as their own. This mind-set results in the complete extinction of the Beothuk people. The white settlers would abduct women and kill men in the cover of the night and completely deny their involvement in income daytime. They had little to no disregard for native life. If the natives retaliated in the smallest of ways, they’d use it as an excuse to eradicate entire villages off the face of the earth.
The Art of Stealing
As the title suggests, the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq and the Europeans engaged in stealing theatrics that further elevated the conflicts in these regions. Since they all depended on one water source for food and survival, they constantly fought for its control. The warrior tribe Beothuk would steal fish traps and nets placed by the Europeans. They would climb aboard their large fishing vessels and walk away with plenty of fish and other valuables. The idea was that because the white settlers came and imposed their rule on their land, they might as well share the profits. The natives had an absolute claim to the land and water but the Europeans came with knowledge and laws of discovery. Despite their legal backings, the lands did not belong to them, and they were aware but did not care. They wanted these lands, and they were going to get it one way or the other. Since the Beothuk people were warriors everything came down to war and the European took that as an advantage to eradicate them from these lands. The idea that the first to arrive at something valuable takes the rights of possession works in favor of the natives, but the idea of survival of the fittest works in favor of the Europeans. Even the author does not seem to have a clear answer on whom these lands belong to since it’s a matter of he said she said. In battle, the last man standing has the final say, in this case, the white settlers.
