Vaccination, Dispossession, and the Indigenous Interior.

Area of Science:

• History of Medicine
• Indigenous Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• Smallpox posed a significant threat to Indigenous populations in North America.
• Previous research focused on U.S. officials' motivations for smallpox vaccination campaigns.
• The reception and agency of Native Americans regarding vaccination remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate Indigenous peoples' interest in disease prevention and their reception of smallpox vaccine technology.
• To re-evaluate the success of the 1830s federal vaccination program in Indian Country.
• To challenge the scholarly consensus on the motivations and outcomes of this campaign.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of historical records and scholarly literature.
• Focus on Indigenous perspectives and reception of vaccination.
• Examination of vaccination efforts across a broad geographic area of North America.

Main Results:

• Many Native American communities showed interest in and actively sought smallpox vaccination.
• Some Indigenous groups demanded vaccination from the U.S. government.
• The federal vaccination program was a successful public health intervention in Indian Country.

Conclusions:

• Indigenous nations' desire for protection against smallpox was a key factor in the program's success.
• Native American agency and interest in preventive medicine were crucial to the campaign's effectiveness.
• The 1830s vaccination campaign highlights successful public health interventions driven by Indigenous demand.