The most fierce tribe in N. America

 

 

 

Syphpyllus was transmitted from native Americans to Euros.  At one time NA did have immunity from European diseases, it only takes 2 generations of non exposure to lose natural immunity.

 

Even modern vaccines for small pox have a life.  Small pox vaccines have a 20 year effective limit.  Being on the 2nd tier of 1st responders, my wife and I have been vaccinated for small pox 3 times.

 

First, there was only a single documented case of germ warfare, and that was by a British officer in Pontiac's War.

 

Second, there were indigenous disease outbreaks that also occurred in the Americas from time to time, and one of Mexico's early pandemics, blamed on smallpox, is now believed to have been such.

 

Third, The Spanish were'nt merely looking for a labor force or 'riches'. Their mind set came out of the Reconquista, as did the military machine that conquered the Americas. Yes, they intended to convert (for the betterment of the Indigenous, who no longer had to give up their sons and daughters to human sacrifice). Yes, they intended to direct the labor of the indigenous to ends that favored their own estancias. But they also intended to reside among the indigenous, constituting the top rung of their hierarchy. The Spanish were not only here to stay, the were here to convert the indigenous into Spaniards, though that was seen as a very long term project. The not only saw the world in term of 'La Espana', they saw it in terms of "Las Espanas". In that regard, the nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples north of Chichimeca, were seen as totally unfit for civilization. Perhaps the Spanish would have happily waged a war of extermination on the Comanche and others, but at the time (18th, 19th centuries) it was seen as far too expensive and not worth the expenditure of military effort.

 

No one was trying to 'exterminate' the indigenous inhabitants. European wars, more properly campaigns, were waged for limited ends. Despite letters expressing satisfaction at seeing an enemy indigenous village burn, with all its inhabitants, the fact remains that by the early 19th century, the descendants of those tribes were still fishing in the rivers where the descendants of those early colonists were erecting industrial cities. The dams that powered the Merrimack and other rivers were the event that put and end to 'Indian' fishing in those waters.

 

(Esperando con respeto las flechas de mi distinguido contrincante doctorado)

 

From talking to a few anthropologist they seem to think the park service is toeing a line of political correctness by not mentioning some of the signs of cannibalism and warfare in the desert southwest. It's all up in the air, Zuni didnt have a written language until the late 1970's I think. Archeology doesnt take in to account oral tradition so I doubt we will ever know for sure. Something big was happening at the time, the Indians of the Mississippi were building pallisaded villages around their mounds at about the same time the cliff dwellers were suffering. Zuni tradition says some of the tribe went back to Mexico, could be where the dwellers went, Some bad juju was in the air.