The demographic history of the native peoples of North America: A selective bibliography

Abstract

Before contact with Europeans had begun, the native peoples of North America were varied in their demographic characteristics; nevertheless, available evidence indicates that, on an average, their life-expectancy-at-birth values fell into the same low ranges typical for other groups at similar levels of technological development. While the total population at contact is still unknown, political and cultural biases have generally forced estimates into artificially high or low ranges. There is general agreement that the shock of contact with invading Europeans led to substantial reductions among most aboriginal populations, but in North America some groups were much less disrupted than others. Many original populations disappeared altogether, but whether or not their demise was primarily a function of short-run, rapid disruption caused by disease andlor warfare, or a slower process spread out over several generations involving assimilation in its various forms, remains uncertain. With the establishment of the reservation system in the 19th century a basis was provided far continued demographic and cultural survival. By the early 20th century most reservation populations were beginning a demographic transition based on declining death rates and high fertility. For several generations rapid growth has continued. As urbanization increases recent fertility declines are expected to accelerate even further. Meanwhile the rapid urbanization of the surviving native peoples poses a real threat to their cultural distinctiveness. Finally, all phases of native American demographic history are characterized by defective and inadequate data which makes straightforward description or analysis perilous.The demographic encounter between the New World and Old is one of the most dramatic chapters in world population history. Evolving for centuries in relative isolation from the Asians, Africans, and Europeans who comprised the majority of the world's population, the natives of the Americas were abruptly brought into contact with the Old World from the fifteenth century onwards. Thereafter, successive New World populations found their existence under sustained assault. In spite of the extreme demographic stress that contact generated, the survivors adapted and ultimately rallied, demonstrating, on a continental scale, the resiliency of the human species.While the demography of the New World native populations is intrinsically interesting, there is as yet no adequate synthesis of it. Indeed, such a synthesis is probably premature. The quantity and quality of the data available rarely inspires confidence in its users. Even recent data must be handled cautiously. The techniques of estimation that must be used in conjunction with the available data still produce figures with wide margins of error. In this context, controversy flourishes and little can be said with 0096 848W8212501 0133$05 50 1982 Alan R Liss, Inc

In the wake of Columbus: Native population biology in the postcontact Americas

“…On the other hand, we should be equally impressed with the truly remarkable resilience of native groups, despite unbelievable pressures-labor exploitation, displacement, disease, crowding, dietary change and malnutrition-during the same time frame. The demographic resurgence brought about by declining mortality and increasing fertility, especially during the twentieth century, is resulting in a rebound in population numbers for many tribal groups (Johansson, 1982). Assessment of population recovery of native New World peoples (e.g., Ubelaker, 1992a,c) and evidence of improving life expectancy at birth for native populations generally in the last two decades (e.g., Rhoades et al, 1987a) illustrate that Native Americans continue to be a vital part of today's human landscape of the Americas.…”

Ancient DNA from a pre‐Columbian Amerindian population

“…The levels of mtDNA diversity also do not differ appreciably between the contemporary Amerind populations and the Norris Farms cemetery population (Table 3). It therefore does not appear as if European contact significantly altered patterns of Amerind mtDNA variation, despite the accompanying sudden and drastic de-crease in population size (Johannson, 1982;Thornton, 1987;Ubelaker, 1988Ubelaker, , 1992. While contemporary Na-Dene populations do have reduced mtDNA diversity relative to ancient and contemporary Amerind populations (Table 31, this is thought to reflect differing origins, not European contact .…”

“…An alternative hypothesis is that the apparent reduction in contemporary Amerindian mtDNA diversity reflects a bottleneck not during initial colonization, but rather as a consequence of the well-known demographic collapse of Amerindian populations following European contact (Johannson, 1982;Thornton, 1987;Ubelaker, 1988Ubelaker, , 1992 Columbian populations provides a direct test of these contrasting hypotheses. If there was a bottleneck associated with the initial colonization of the New World, then there would still be only four mtDNA lineages represented in a pre-Columbian population.…”

“…An alternative hypothesis is that the apparent reduction in contemporary Amerindian mtDNA diversity reflects a bottleneck not during initial colonization, but rather as a consequence of the well-known demographic collapse of Amerindian populations following European contact (Johannson, 1982;Thornton, 1987;Ubelaker, 1988Ubelaker, , 1992. Analysis of mtDNA variation in pre-…”

An Ethnohistorical Perspective on Cheyenne Demography

“…The primary reason for this has been the continued assertion that these records contain unique and insurmountable methodological problems. In her overview of native American demography, Johansson (1982) (Burch 1980;Caldwell, Caldwell and Caldwell 1987;Dobyns 1983;Hammel and Howell 1987; Harris and Ross 1987;Howell 1979; Thornton 1987;Ramenofsky 1987;Zubrow 1976). And while the problem of incompleteness in these records has been effectively addressed by Meister (1980), some additional attention needs to be paid to Petersen's other concern-cultural bias.…”