In 1775, Bruno De Heceta introduced smallpox to the community, killing an estimated 30% of the population (Hunn et al., 2002, p. 33). It was reintroduced to the area again around 1801, 1836, and 1862 with an extrapolated mortality of 60-95% of the remaining population (Bean, 2020). My grandmother Eva was born in 1916 and spent the first eight years of her life on the island (Ketah, 2021c, 4:45). She said her family was the only one left besides the temporary cannery that was opposite their house in Warm Chuck (Ketah, 2021c, 5:40). In 1924, they abandoned Warm Chuck when facing jail for not attending school (Ketah, 2021b, 7:45; 2021c 5:00).
This is a short post but does not come close to expressing the terrible effects of smallpox and other diseases. It was not just an emotional time, it had consequences of disrupting a way of life. It meant knowledge was lost. The forced removal to attend residential schools is a whole other story to tell. This post will be expanded on as it is researched further.
Additional recommended reading. Lingít ḵa Waashdan Ḵwáan, the Tlingit and the Americans: Interactions and Transformations, 1856-1896
References
Image – An undated photo of the Wrangell Institute school. (Photo courtesy Alaska State Library Historical Collections)
Bean, D. (2020). Unforeseen Consequences. Soul of a community. Retrieved from https://www.soulofacommunity.com/single-post/2020/04/19/unforeseen-consequences
Hunn, S., Johnson, D., Russell, P., & Thornton, T. (2002). A study of traditional use of birds’ eggs by the Huna Tlingit. National Park Service, Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Technical Report (NPS/CCSOUW/NRTR-2002-02 NPS D-113 ), Seattle, Washington.
Ketah, J. (2021b). Eva Dowhitt History by Haines Dewitt. Unpublished video. Home video.
Ketah, J. (2021c). Eva Dowhitt – Thurston Ketah. Unpublished video. Home video.