Germ Warfare?

[clw]

Perhaps this board shouldn't be limited to conflicts with the "US Army" as the history of our First Peoples goes beyond this.

There has been much controversy among [some] historians as to whether or not smallpox was intentionally used as an agent of germ warfare against the First Peoples.

This article discusses the record and provides scans of the original correspondence during the French and Indian War of both Lord Jeffery Amhurst and William Trent regarding the matter.

www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/amherst/lord_jeff.html

Another link on this site discusses the epidemics among the plains tribes and provides some interesting information on how they began and spread.

www.thefurtrapper.com/indian_smallpox.htm

[gorkinoff]

In 1887 Andrew Blackbird, son of an Ottawa Chief named Blackhawk wrote 'History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians'.

Excerpt:

...The Ottawa were greatly reduced in numbers from what they were in former times, on account of the small-pox which they brought from Montreal during the French war with Great Britain. This small-pox was sold to them shut up in a tin box, with the strict injunction not to open the box on their way homeward, but only when they reach their country; and that this box contained something that would do them great good and their people! The foolish people believed really there was something in the box supernatural, that would do them great good. Accordingly, after they reached home they opened the box; but behold there was another tin box inside, smaller. They took it out and opened the second box and behold still there was another box inside of the second box, smaller yet. So they kept on this way till they came to a very small box, which was not more than an inch long; and when they opened the last one they found nothing but mouldy particles in this last little box! They wondered very much what it was, and a great many closely inspected to try to find out what it meant. But alas! pretty soon burst out a terrible sickness among them. The great Indian doctors themselves were taken sick and died. The tradition says it was indeed awful and terrible. Every one taken with it was sure to die. Lodge after lodge was totally vacated-nothing but the dead bodies lying here and there in their lodges-entire families being swept off with the ravages of this terrible disease. The whole coast of Arbor Croche, or Waw-gaw-naw-ke-zee, where their principal village was situated, on the west shore of the peninsula near the Straits, which is said to have been a continuous village some fifteen or sixteen miles long and extending from what is now called Cross Village to Seven Mile Point was entirely depopulated and laid waste. It is generally believed among the Indians of Arbor Croche that this wholesale murder of the Ottawas by this terrible disease sent by the British people, was actuated through hatred, and expressly to kill off the Ottawas and Chippewas because they were friends of the French Government or French King, whom they called "their Great Father" The reason that today we see no full grown trees standing along the coast of Arbor Croche, a mile or more in width along the shore, is because the trees were entirely cleared away for this famous long village, which existed before the small-pox raged among the Ottawas.

(Arbor Croche means crooked tree in french)

[wolfgang911]

Was anyone able at that time to secure particles of small pox i doubt it.
used blankets maybe but this goes a little far no?

anyway my opinion is that without smallpox we would have some indian states in 2009...
before the whites would have overrun the numerous woodland and missouri tribes they should have added some decades to their journey to the plains if there hadn't been the germs....... then crossing the missouri there would be double of horseback warriors waiting if there hadn't been any smallpox.
anyone feels like debating join :-)

[gorkinoff]

Clw posted a link to this page. It has excellent information concerning the delivery of smallpox to the natives:

www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/amherst/lord_jeff.html


These are some things posted on the website:

I have not found this letter, but there is a letter from Bouquet to Amherst, dated 23 June 1763, [189k] three weeks before the discussion of blankets to the Indians, stating that Captain Ecuyer at Fort Pitt (to which Bouquet would be heading with reinforcements) has reported smallpox in the Fort. This indicates at least that the writers knew the plan could be carried out.

It is curious that the specific plans to spread smallpox were relegated to postscripts. I leave it to the reader to ponder the significance of this.
Several other letters from the summer of 1763 show the smallpox idea was not an anomaly. The letters are filled with comments that indicate a genocidal intent, with phrases such as:

* "...that Vermine ... have forfeited all claim to the rights of humanity" (Bouquet to Amherst, 25 June) [149k]
* "I would rather chuse the liberty to kill any Savage...." (Bouquet to Amherst, 25 June) [121k]
* "...Measures to be taken as would Bring about the Total Extirpation of those Indian Nations" (Amherst to Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of the Northern Indian Department, 9 July) [229k]
* "...their Total Extirpation is scarce sufficient Attonement...." (Amherst to George Croghan, Deputy Agent for Indian Affairs, 7 August) [145k]
* "...put a most Effectual Stop to their very Being" (Amherst to Johnson, 27 August [292k]; emphasis in original)...

...The same year, British General Sir Jeffrey Amherst urged Colonel Henry Bouquet to figure some way of infecting France's Indian allies with smallpox. On July 13, the colonel wrote that he would attempt seeding some blankets with Variola, then send them to the warring tribes. Recognizing the risk of such a tactic, Bouquet expressed the hope that he would not catch the sickness himself. Whether the plan was ever carried out is unknown.


One thing to keep in mind is that this is not just an isolated case (Wasicun had wars with the indians for hundreds of years prior-This is probably just a continuation of practices that started before this time),

I realize that there are many angles to this subject. I am currently reading History of the Ottawa and Ojibwe by Blackbird and thought it would be interesting to post. On the rez, (any rez), you can easily find many older people that sincerely believe that the United States Government had/has a policy of extermination. Many believe that it continues to this day in hidden ways. Tribal Membership-Enrollment-Blood Quantum being but one method that is being used today. Some tribes have many people living there that do not meet the requirements to be 'enrolled'. Recently I spoke with a tribal council member that is trying to change enrollment requirements to include descendants, doing away with Blood Quantum.(some already have!) Rosebud has an open enrollment policy. Many believe the government is trying to 'do away' with the Indians (and their responsibility to them). Many tribes have land or resources that are in demand. I remember Grandma Ruth Fire saying "They are only nice to me because of the uranium on my land." She was 104 when she died and she was one of the wealthiest members of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. (arguably the poorest reservation in the nation) That money is gone, now where are we?

The fact that when I go to the Indian Health Services and am still treated by United States naval officers says volumes.

Continue this debate. I for one am very interested in anybody's take on this. Especially in this forum. There may be many viewpoints on this topic with our various ethnicities.

Jon Brings