This small nation of Newfoundland native people became extinct when the last known survivor, a young woman named Shanawdithit died in 1829. The origins of the Beothuks are uncertain; they are thought to be related to earlier cultures which existed on the island over a period of some 9,000 years. They lived a nomadic existence, hunting in the interior, and gathering and fishing along the coast, sometimes going far out to sea in their uniquely styled canoes. They were among the first native people of North America to be seen by European explorers. The destruction of the nation was a direct consequence of European intrusions.