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men of Arabia, they are very independent by nature and wish to be let alone. 
Moreover, the medicine men doctor them when sick and also prepare them 
for the Happy World in the hereafter. 
The influenza broke out at the boarding-school at Tuba City, Western 
Navajo Agency (Arizona), October 12, and in the other reservations of the 
Navajo country at about the same time. At, the school, there were 138 
‘ases at one time but due to prompt action on the part of Dr. N. O. Reynalds, 
the agency physician, and the ever vigilant and careful work of the other 
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 complications due to 
the disease. Most of the other Nayajo 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 Hopi Pueblo of 
Moencopi, two miles from the school, was stricken with the plague. At one 
time, 181 of its 300 population were down with the disease. 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 Moencipi 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. 
One 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 disease, a Navajo woman 
gave birth to a baby girl. Five days later, it becoming evident that she 
would 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 
