The Epidemiological Consequences Of Forced Removal: The Northern Cheyenne In Indian Territory

In August, 1877, approximately 937 Northern Cheyenne were forcibly removed from their northern homeland and transferred to the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency, Indian Tenitory. Upon their anival, they were beset by disease, malnutrition, and cultural alienation. During their residence at the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency, the Northern Cheyenne experienced malarial infections, measles, and dysentery, resulting in a high degree of moroidity and mortality. Using primary documentation in conjunction with the ethnohistorical record, the epidemiological experience of the Northern Cheyenne in Indian Territory is quantitatively assessed. The impact of these disease episodes on Northern Cheyenne population structure is then examined.