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The Impact of Foreign Diseases |
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The arrival of Europeans in the North had profound effects on the local peoples,
one of which was the introduction of foreign disease and illness. It is estimated
that in the century leading up to 1860, 80% of the Aboriginal population of the
Mackenzie Valley died due to the introduction of European diseases. All four villages
on the trail have large cemeteries located nearby, which stand as testament to
a very tragic period in Dogrib history. Victims of the influenza epidemic of 1928/29
populated these cemeteries. Large percentages of the local population passed away,
and the result was that local groups simply became too small to survive in their
traditional areas. They were forced to relocate to join with the survivors of
other regional groups. Following the 1928 epidemic, all four villages on the trail
were abandoned.
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| A cemetery located near Nidziika Kogolaa (Tom Andrews/PWNHC) | |
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