The spread of horses and diseaseto the natives of WA state

Before Contact:

Horses

Early 1600s – Spanishhorses in New Mexicocolonies

1680 – Pueblo RevoltPueblo tribe takes the

Spanish horses

Horses

Horses are quicklytraded north

1680s to 1690s – tribes in Idaho, Oregon, andWashington begin toget horses

1700 – tribes allover Washington havehorses

Oral History of the horseOral history told by the Cayuse, about one of their war parties scouting the Shoshoni tribe.

"What they saw confused them: the Shoshoni appeared to be riding either elk or deer. The spies hurried back to their war chief, who sent other warriors to find out the reason for what he thought must surely be an illusion. They, too, saw what appeared to be Shoshoni riding elk or deer. Dumbfounded, the group inched closer to discover that the hoofprints were not split but solid and round. Thoroughly upset by this discovery, the chief abandoned his war plan for one of peace. After agreeing to a truce, the war party returned home with a pair of horses. The Cayuses treated their new treasures with great care, and the following year the mare gave birth. Then the Cayuses decided to send out another party, this time to get more horses from the Shoshoni."

Oral History of the horseAccording to Nez Perce oral history, their tribe first saw horses among the Cayuse and, learning that they had come from the Shoshonis, sent out a purchasing party, who returned with a gentle white mare.

"Day after day the curious Nez Perce gathered from all around to watch the mare eat grass near the village. They learned how a horse acted: how it fed, how it exercised, how it rested. In a few weeks the mare dropped a foal, and the crowds increased. Soon other villages sent south for horses of their own, to be treasured as curiosities and pets"

Horses change native ways of life

HuntingCarry heavier loads

◦ Able to trade biggeritems

Travel farther◦ More trade◦ Larger tribal

gatherings◦ More knowledge

of other places

Horses change native ways of life

Symbol of wealth◦ Decorated with

beads, blankets, etc. Increased warfare

Smallpox epidemics

1616 – Smallpox decimatesnatives of the east coastof North America◦ 4 years before the

Mayflower landing in 1620!Next 150 years – Smallpox

nearly wipes out manytribes of Central North America

Smallpox epidemics

1770 – Smallpox arrivesin Washington◦ At least 30% of natives die◦ More than 11,000 people

Next 80 years – Smallpox and other diseasescontinue to kill◦ 28,000 dead◦ only 9,000 remained

Sources“Legends of America Photo Prints: Northwest Tribes.” Legends

of America. February 7, 2015. <http://photos.legendsofamerica.com/northwesttribes>

Nisbet, Jack & Claire. “European horses arrive on the Columbia plateau in the early 1700s.” HistoryLink. May 19, 2010. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9433>

“Native American Timeline of Events.” Legends of America. February 7, 2015. <http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-timeline.html>

“Medicine Through Time: Smallpox.” Timelines.tv. 2010. <http://timelines.tv/smPox/more/spread2.html>