SANTU TONEY
Santu Toney is a bit special in Beothuk history because she has preserved the only spoken Beothuk words. Because of her we know what Bothuks speech sounded like (Even if we cant understand it). She was an Indian woman who in 1910 was interviewed by American Anthropologists Frank Speck. Frank Speck studied various North American native cultures and was apparently particularly interested in Santu Toney as it was the first indication that he had that the Beothuks never became extinct in 1829. Santu Toney said that her father was a Beothuk and her mother a Micmac and that she was seventy five years old. She apparently is not listed in any census data and she never had a lot of information about the Beothuks themselves so I am assuming that she lived most of her life more like European settlers in Newfoundland (And later the United States) people rather than the way that natives lived.
But she recorded a song for Frank Speck that was apparently a nursery rhyme that her Beothuk father sang to her as a child. It was apparently low quality (It was 1910 after all) and saved on a wax cylinder. Today its not possible to understand any of the words.
But the recording is still in existence. In particular there is a copy that the public can listen to at the Rooms museum in St Johns Newfoundland. I would like a copy to play on this website but the Rooms wont send me copy citing copyright concerns – even though they have no idea who owns the copyright or even if there is even one. I find this odd on several levels. Firstly – who cares? Its not like its ever going to be a big money making top ten hit. It is what should be an historic culturally important recording belonging to all Canadians. In addition this recording was made well over a hundred years ago and the person making the recording (Frank Speck) died in 1950. I would assume Frank Speck would have been the copyright holder and the copyright would have lapsed fifty years after he died (Assuming that there even was one). Maybe some copyright lawyer could update me on this but I assume that at least since 2000 the song would be in the public domain.
So I find my inability to get permission to put the song on my website bizarre – like somebody has some sort of agenda. But I understand especially government organizations being overly cautious about copyright issues so it might be just that simple. I still think that the song should be easily listenable online for all to hear. It should be a part of Canadian culture and everybody should have the ability to study it.
In the meantime if you are in St Johns you can go to the Rooms and listen to their recording of the song.