- Apr 14, 2003
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From time to time I hear the US accused of committing genocide against American Indians. This is a sweeping generalization and overlooks other factors, such as disease. It also overlooks the fact that quite a few Indians are alive today.
World Book under Indian, American, says that while thousands of Indians were killed in battle:
"Even more Indians died from measles, smallpox, and other new diseases introduced by the whites."
On warfare:
"The tribes also fought one another as a result of competition for the fur trade."
Under Indians of the Northeast:
"Smallpox, measles, and other European diseases killed many Indians."
Under Indians of the Southeast:
"Many also died from measles, smallpox, and other diseases brought by Europeans."
Interestingly enough, the Indian way of life that we think of as traditional only developed after the coming of the Europeans. On the Plains Indians:
"The coming of the horse and gun greatly changed life on the Plains.* With the horse, Indians could leave their villages and follow the buffalo herds--which they could not do on foot.* Buffalo meat became their main food."
On California Indians:
"The population of the California Indians dropped greatly after contact with Europeans. New diseases brought by the Spaniards and later settlers took many Indian lives.* After gold was discovered in California in the 1800's, more Indians were killed by the gold miners who came to the region to seek their fortune."
For the Indians of the Great Basin the problem was economic competition and ecological destruction:
"The settlers' cattle and sheep ate many of the wild plants that the Indians depended on for food.* In some areas, sections of the pine forests, which provided the Indians with pine nuts, were cut down for lumber."
On the Indians of the Plateau, which stretches into Canada:
"In the mid-1800's, however, settlers and miners began to take Indian lands.* They also brought many deadly diseases, including smallpox and scarlet fever, to the area."
World Book under Indian, American, says that while thousands of Indians were killed in battle:
"Even more Indians died from measles, smallpox, and other new diseases introduced by the whites."
On warfare:
"The tribes also fought one another as a result of competition for the fur trade."
Under Indians of the Northeast:
"Smallpox, measles, and other European diseases killed many Indians."
Under Indians of the Southeast:
"Many also died from measles, smallpox, and other diseases brought by Europeans."
Interestingly enough, the Indian way of life that we think of as traditional only developed after the coming of the Europeans. On the Plains Indians:
"The coming of the horse and gun greatly changed life on the Plains.* With the horse, Indians could leave their villages and follow the buffalo herds--which they could not do on foot.* Buffalo meat became their main food."
On California Indians:
"The population of the California Indians dropped greatly after contact with Europeans. New diseases brought by the Spaniards and later settlers took many Indian lives.* After gold was discovered in California in the 1800's, more Indians were killed by the gold miners who came to the region to seek their fortune."
For the Indians of the Great Basin the problem was economic competition and ecological destruction:
"The settlers' cattle and sheep ate many of the wild plants that the Indians depended on for food.* In some areas, sections of the pine forests, which provided the Indians with pine nuts, were cut down for lumber."
On the Indians of the Plateau, which stretches into Canada:
"In the mid-1800's, however, settlers and miners began to take Indian lands.* They also brought many deadly diseases, including smallpox and scarlet fever, to the area."