245 



tnen of Arabia, they are very indepeiuleiif by nature 

 .Moreover, tlie luedieine men doctiu- tlieiii wlieii sici 

 for the Ilapiiy World in the hereafter. 



The influenza broke out at the boardinfi-sclKMil 

 Xavajo A^iency (Arizona). October 12. and in tlie < 

 .Xavajo country at about the sani(> liiiit>. \\ the 

 eases at one time but due id pioiuid aclioii on Ibe ])m 

 the agency physician, and the ever vi}?ilaiit and careful work of the otlier 

 employes in taking care of the pupils — many employes doing nurse work to 

 save the children even when they themselves were running a high fever- 

 only two deaths then occurred and only one since from comiilications due to 

 the disease. Most of the other Navajo schools fared worse. The school 

 at Fort Defiance is reported to have lost 67 pupils. 



At the time the malady was raging at the school, the Ilopi I'ueblo of 

 .Moencopi, two miles from the school, w.as stricken with the plague. At one 

 time, 181 of its 300 population were down with tlie di.sease. At the same 

 time, all the government employes at the place but one became sick. At this 

 critical moment, some nurses arrived from Flagstaff and attempted to look 

 .after the Indians' needs; but. with the best of intentions, they made a fail- 

 ure of their efforts. Not understanding the Indian character, they made 

 the villagers so angry that they would not allow them to give them medicine 

 or attention. The "principals" of the place also followed them around and 

 forbade every one to take their remedies. Consequently, they gave up the 

 task as hopeless. By this time, the pupils at the school were so convalescing 

 that a force of school and agency employes could be spared for taking 

 care of the Hopis. These took food from the school to the village; and, 

 gaining the good will of the Indians, soon had them taking all the med- 

 icine needed and receiving all the necessary care. As a result, of the 300 

 sick only 16 died. 



By the time the people of IMoeicipi began to recover from the disease, the 

 epidemic had begun to spread to the Navajo settlements on the reservation. 

 Aid was at once sent them in every possible way. Hospitals were estab- 

 lished at every convenient place to which the sick were taken for treat- 

 ment. The hogans were also visited. But the work was difficult. 



When the disease reached the Navajos, they fled from the places where 

 it appeared. Those at the "Fields" in Moencopi wash south of Tuba fled 

 westward and northwestward to Black and Navajo mountains. In this 

 panic, they often abandoned everything, even their sheep in some cases. 

 Hue Navajo is alleged to have abandoned his sick wife and several children 

 to die of starvation. Several families are alleged to have abandoned sick 

 members of their family. While sick with the disea.se. a Navajo woman 

 gave birth to a baby girl. Five days later, it becoming evident that she 

 \<-ould die, she and the baby were abandoned. Later they were found by a 

 government party, both still alive. They were both brought to the hospital 

 into which the Marsh Pass school had been converted but the mother died 

 that same evening, and the little one had been so starved that it succumbed 

 two days later. Other similar cases of abandonment are reported. One is 



