1953} RITZEXTHALER, CHIPPEWA HEALTH 229 



medicinal techniques. The fact that the professional healers, the Mide 

 priests and shamans, were accorded the highest prestige in the band was 

 another indication of the attitude. 



The second portion of this paper has dealt with an analysis of the 

 reasons for such an attitude in terms of both the present situation and 

 previous history of the band. While it could never be proven, the evidence 

 pointed to the hypothesis that a considerable concern with health was enter- 

 tained by the Chippewa in pre-contact times. It was seen that any existmg 

 concern for health was intensified during the historic period due to the 

 serious health problems resulting from white contact. Beside the introduc- 

 tion of new diseases such as smallpox which plagued the Chippewa durmg 

 most of the historic period, white contact also resulted in cultural changes 

 producing conditions under which diseases like tuberculosis flourish. An 

 analysis of the state of health of the band in modern times revealed that the 

 preoccupation with health apparent among the Chippewa today has a 

 realistic basis; that the health of this communit)' is sub-standard; that while 

 the Indian only senses something is wrong, the statistics show the following: 



1. One out of two persons is hospitalized each year as compared to one 



out of five for the general United States population (1946). 



2. That the tuberculosis mortality rate for Wisconsin Indians for the 



ten-year period from 1931-41 was eight times greater than that ot 

 the general United States population. 



3. That for this same ten-year period one-third of the deaths were in 



the 0-5-year age group. 



4. That for this same ten-year period the average age at death was 30.8 



as compared to the general United States life expectancy rate for 

 whites of 65.5 (U. S. Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1939-41). 



It seems probable that a preoccupation with health will exist among the 

 Chippewa as long as such unfortunate health conditions prevail, and it 

 seems unlikely that there will be any radical change in the attitude in the 

 immediate future. The health problems of the Chippewa today are to a 

 considerable extent a result of poor economic conditions, and there is little 

 likelihood of any significant improvement in the near future. While a 

 comprehensive program of health education, and an expansion of medical 

 services might be of considerable help, the problem will not be resolved as 



