The Coming of the Spirit of Pestilence: Introduced Infectious Diseases and Population Decline Among Northwest Coast Indians, 1774-1874

In a century of contact with Euro-Americans, Pacific Northwest tribes such as the Chinookans, Coast Salish, Haida, and Tlingit saw their numbers plummet from about 180,000 to 35,000 due to introduced diseases such as influenza, measles, tuberculosis, and especially smallpox. A Portland, Oregon anthropologist gives a detailed historical epidemiology and account of the social impact of this demographic disaster. Includes the extant census data and population decline for two regions, supporting the hypothesis that disease was the main cause of Indian depopulation; and photos of key Indian informants, burial sites, and a vaccinating missionary.