There are still some American Indians
I am proud to be part of the Ottawa Indian Tribe and I am proud to be American. American Indians are the true American people, and I am proud to vote in the Ottawa Tribal Elections. The story of Native American populations before European arrival is one of resilience, diversity, and, later, unimaginable loss. Indians are the first Americans. I am a registered Ottawa Indian. We are voting for some tribal positions. America would be a different (better) place if the white man had not treated the Indians as an inferior race. Even white children’s songs carried this theme of white man superiority. The song from the children's film Pocahontas has the following lyrics referring to Indians, “Savages, savages, barely even human”, consider Indians inferior
Ottawa Indian Tribe
The Ottawa Indian Tribe, also known as the Odawa, is a Native American group originally from the Great Lakes region, including parts of Michigan, Ontario, and Quebec. Renowned as skilled traders, they played a pivotal role in intertribal commerce, exchanging goods like furs and corn. The Ottawa were part of the Council of Three Fires, an alliance with the Ojibwe and Potawatomi tribes. Their population declined significantly after European contact due to disease and displacement. Today, the Ottawa maintain vibrant communities in the U.S. and Canada, preserving their language, traditions, and cultural heritage while advocating for their rights and history.
Native American Population Before European Arrival
Scholars have proposed a wide range of estimates for the pre-Columbian Native American population in the area that is now the United States. These estimates vary due to differences in methodology, assumptions about population density, and the lack of direct records:
• Low Estimates: Anthropologist James Mooney (early 20th century) suggested around 1.1 million Native Americans lived north of Mexico in 1492, based on historical accounts and carrying capacity.
• Moderate Estimates: Geographer William Denevan’s "consensus count" in 1976 estimated about 3.8 million for the U.S. and Canada combined, with later refinements suggesting 3–5 million for the U.S. alone.
• High Estimates: Ethnohistorian Henry Dobyns proposed a much higher figure, ranging from 10 to 18 million for North America north of Mexico, with a significant portion in the present-day U.S., based on the impact of epidemics and archaeological evidence. However, these higher estimates are debated and considered speculative by some.
A commonly accepted range among modern scholars for the U.S. specifically is 2.1 million to 7 million, with 5 million often cited as a reasonable midpoint, acknowledging both the diversity of Indigenous societies and the devastating effects of later contact.
Native American Population Today
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, approximately 6.79 million people identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, either alone or in combination with another race. This reflects a significant recovery from the population nadir in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when numbers dropped to as low as 250,000–300,000 due to centuries of decline following European contact.
Comparison
• Pre-Contact (c. 1492): Likely between 2.1 million and 7 million, with 5 million as a plausible average estimate.
• Today (2020): 6.79 million.
• Observation: The current population has surpassed most pre-contact estimates, indicating a remarkable recovery over the past century, driven by improved healthcare, legal recognition, and self-identification. However, this does not reflect continuity of pre-contact cultures or populations, as many tribes were decimated or assimilated.
Impact of European Contact: Deaths from Violence, Displacement, and Disease
The decline of the Native American population after European arrival is attributed to a combination of disease, violence, and displacement. It took audacity for European settlers to push into these lands, heedless of the thriving societies they disrupted, and the consequences were catastrophic. Quantifying these losses precisely is challenging, but historians provide broad estimates:
Disease
• Primary Cause: European-introduced diseases such as smallpox, measles, influenza, and others, to which Native Americans had no immunity, are considered the leading cause of population decline. These "virgin soil epidemics" could kill 30%–90% of affected communities in a single outbreak.
• Scale: Estimates suggest that 80%–95% of the pre-contact population died within the first 100–150 years of contact (1492–1642). For a U.S.-specific population of 5 million, this implies 4 million to 4.75 million deaths from disease alone over time. A 2018 study by Koch et al. estimated 55 million Indigenous deaths across the Americas by 1600, with a significant portion in North America.
• Context: Disease was often exacerbated by colonial disruptions (e.g., malnutrition, forced relocation), making populations more vulnerable.
Violence
• Direct Killings: Violent conflicts, including wars, massacres, and skirmishes, occurred throughout the colonial period and into the 19th century. Notable examples include the Pequot War (1637), King Philip’s War (1675–1676), the California Genocide (1848–1870), and the Wounded Knee Massacre (1890). The audacity of colonial forces to wage relentless campaigns against Native peoples left scars that persist in tribal memory.
• Estimates: No comprehensive tally exists, but specific events provide insight. For instance, during the California Gold Rush, at least 4,500 Native Americans were killed between 1849 and 1870. The Indian Wars (late 19th century) and earlier conflicts likely resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Historian Ned Blackhawk suggests that violence, combined with disease, halved North America’s population from 8 million in 1492 to under 4 million by 1776, with perhaps hundreds of thousands killed directly by settlers or their allies in the U.S. region.
• Total Violent Deaths: A rough estimate might range from 100,000 to 500,000 over four centuries, though this is speculative and varies by region and period.
Displacement
• Forced Relocation: Policies like the Trail of Tears (1830s) displaced tens of thousands, with over 4,000 Cherokee alone dying from starvation, exposure, and disease during removal. Similar relocations affected other tribes, such as the Navajo Long Walk (1864). The audacity to uproot entire nations for colonial gain compounded the human toll.
• Secondary Effects: Displacement disrupted food systems, exposed populations to harsh conditions, and increased disease susceptibility. While direct deaths from displacement are hard to isolate from disease, they likely contributed to tens of thousands of additional fatalities.
• Estimate: Combined with violence, displacement-related deaths might add 50,000 to 200,000 to the toll, though these often overlap with disease mortality.
Total Losses
• Overall Decline: From a pre-contact population of 5 million, the Native American population fell to roughly 250,000 by 1900—a loss of 4.75 million. Of this:
o Disease: Likely responsible for 4–4.5 million deaths (80%–90% of the total decline).
o Violence and Displacement: Potentially 250,000–750,000 deaths, with overlap between categories (e.g., disease killing those weakened by war or removal).
• Caveat: These figures are not additive in a simple sense, as the causes interacted. For example, colonial violence often preceded or followed epidemics, amplifying their impact.
Conclusion
I am an American Indian. I am a true American. Before European arrival, an estimated 2.1–7 million Native Americans lived in what is now the U.S., with 5 million as a midpoint. Today, 6.79 million identify as Native American, showing a numerical recovery but not a restoration of pre-contact societies. Of the roughly 4.75 million who died between 1492 and 1900, the vast majority—perhaps 4 million or more—succumbed to diseases introduced by Europeans, while violence and displacement accounted for hundreds of thousands more. These numbers reflect a profound human tragedy, shaped by both unintended epidemics and the audacity of deliberate colonial actions.
European audacity cut Native populations from 5M in 1492 to 250K by 1900 via disease and violence; today, 6.79M thrive, including proud Ottawa like me.
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