Ochre Pit Cove: Located north of Western Bay and Broad Cove, Ochre Pit Cove has a long history, going back to early Indigenous people, the Beothuks, also known as "Red Indians".

According to Wikipedia contributors, ochre (also spelt ocher) is a naturally forming clay earth pigment, composed of ferric oxide, clay and sand.

Typically, yellow in colour, however it can range from light yellow to red and brown. Artists have been painting with ochre for thousands of years, going all the way back to carliest cave man.

A hunk of ochre stone can be grated against another stone, and the "dust" can be mixed with a liquid (e.g., egg whites or water) to make a paste.

Red ochre, (FeO3), takes its reddish colour from the mineral hematite, which is an anhydrous iron oxide.

It is believed that in the spring the Beothuks used ochre paint to paint their bodies (hence the name "Red Indians) but also used the paint to paint many of things that they used everyday, such as canoes, weapons and musical instruments.

It is also thought that the Beothuks used yellow oche to colour their hair. Newborn Beothuk children were "decorated" with ochre as part of a ritual that welcomed them into the tribe.

Used with permission from "Uncovering the Origin of 1001 Unique Place Names in Newfoundland and Labrador" 2021 Jennifer Leigh Hill

Address of this page: http://nl.ruralroutes.com/OchrePitCove