American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The uniqueness of man comes from the fact that he does not live only in the present; he still carries the past in his body and in his mind, and he is concerned with the future. To be really relevant to the human condition, the concept of adaptability must incorporate not only the needs of the present, but also the limitations imposed by the past, and the anticipations of the future. René Dubos, Man Adapting, 1965 Until the arrival of foreigners on the shores of the “new continent,” it appears that Indians were relatively free of infectious diseases, with the exception of tuberculosis. This situation left bands and tribes without any acquired immunity, and they fell appallingly easy victims to diseases brought in by outsiders. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of detailed information available concerning American Indians and Alaska Natives, and the importation of diseases that decimated or annihilated whole populations and tribes.