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Smallpox Smallpox broke out in about 1870, a time that was turbulent enough even before the smallpox. The North West had just been sold by the Hudson's Bay Company to the Canadian government and this news had disturbed the native people, who were worried about the future of their land. The McDougall's had organized a large meeting for the spring of 1869 to try to calm the native's fears and create peace in the area. And the Cree Chief Maskepetoon had been murdered that spring as well. Meanwhile, the Red River Rebellion was big news at the time. Hugh A. Dempsey's book Big Bear: The End of Freedom describes (on page 40) the smallpox as having come from a diseased blanket stolen from a Missouri River steamboat by the Blackfoot, and then brought North by the Cree who found the Blackfoot's destroyed camps. At some missions, like the Oblate mission in St. Albert, people were told to come gather near the mission so that they could help take care of the sick. At Victoria Settlement, people were told to scatter and live on their own so that the disease would not spread. Joseph Dion, in his book My Tribe the Cree describes some of the chaos that the disease caused. He tells a story, on page 67, of a small band making a big circle to avoid going near another camp that they have to pass, but as they are passing it, the sole survivor of the camp comes out. The people pass by, unwilling to take the young woman into their band for fear that she would spread the disease to her. At night, two men go back for her, only to find she has hung herself. This is but one of the many, many stories from that time period. The Saskatchewan District Board of Health was formed in 1871, with its first meeting held at Fort Edmonton on the 21st of April. The board prohibited the export of furs, buffalo robes, or leather goods so as to attempt to prevent the disease from being spread outside of the Saskatchewan District. (Mabindisa 492) Among the members of the board was Henry Steinhauer. Smallpox at Victoria Settlement The people at Victoria Mission heard that smallpox was coming before it actually arrived at the mission so just before George McDougall left to go with some Hudson's Bay Officials to the Red River Settlement, George advised his son that the people from the mission should scatter and live in isolation to prevent the spread of the disease. John came down with the disease, but recovered, and George returned home from the Red River Settlement. Smallpox risk or no smallpox risk, food had to be stored for the winter. In the fall of 1870 John McDougall out with a group of people to go hunting. George warned them to keep smallpox away "at gunpoint" if necessary. When the disease came to the mission George quarantined his own mission house refusing to allow people in or out of the palisade wall. (Although he himself ventured in and out often enough, according to his journal entries). Everyone in the mission house except Elizabeth Chantler McDougall came down with smallpox by October, 1870. Flora died on October 13. Adopted daughter Anna died on October 28, and Georgiana died on November 1st. Public worship services were resumed on November 18th. (Nix 66. J. McDougall 1888 pg 164) George McDougall described the Smallpox epidemic in his journal, which is quoted in John McDougall's book George Millward McDougall, published in 1888.
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