 "We Bring Trade Goods... and Infectious Diseases" In addition to trade goods, Europeans also brought infectious diseases to the Arctic. Never having been exposed to such diseases, the Inuit had no natural immunities. Vaccinations or inoculations were unknown in that time, and thousands died. The population of the western Canadian Arctic Inuit fell from about 2500 people in 1850, to only 150 by 1910. The eastern Arctic didn't fare much better - one Inuit group on Southampton Island disappeared completely. They caught dysentery from the sailors of a whaling ship. Picture: Inuit burial site from the time of the epidemics. Graves were difficult to dig in permafrost and driftwood was the only source of wood.
Click pictures for more information and credits. Library: Arctic, Inuit Exploration, Whales/Fish Links: Arctic, Inuit Arctic Maps & Weather Reports |
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DICTIONARY: Just "double-click" any unlinked word on this page for the definition from Merriam-Webster's Student Electronic Dictionary at Word Central. |
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ARCTIC LIBRARY & GLOSSARY: Check this section for an index of the rest of the things you really need to know about the Arctic. |
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ARCTIC MAPS & WEATHER REPORTS: Maps of the Northwest Passage, explorers' routes, iceberg sources, Nunavut, the Arctic by treeline, temperature... |
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ARCTIC LINKS: Even more information! Links to sites related to the Arctic and "Iceberg: the Story of the Throps and the Squallhoots". |
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GUIDE TO ARCTIC SUNRISE & SUNSET: How much sunlight or darkness is there in the Arctic on each day of the year? |
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