Times of the Islands Spring 2021
Presents the "soul of the Turks & Caicos Islands" with in-depth features about local people, culture, history, environment, real estate, businesses, resorts, restaurants and activities.
Presents the "soul of the Turks & Caicos Islands" with in-depth features about local people, culture, history, environment, real estate, businesses, resorts, restaurants and activities.
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
TWATIMES_Layout 1 2/16/17 7:49 AM Page 1<br />
is infamous as <strong>the</strong> first biological weapon, with British<br />
colonists infecting local Natives and American soldiers<br />
reportedly distributing infected blankets out west. The<br />
disease ravaged Native communities in <strong>the</strong> United States<br />
until <strong>the</strong> 1880s, long after an effective vaccine had<br />
become available. In fact, attention to smallpox waned<br />
only after it was superseded by tuberculosis as <strong>the</strong> principal<br />
scourge <strong>of</strong> Native Americans.<br />
The histories <strong>of</strong> those lethal diseases (smallpox 1517,<br />
malaria 1550, measles 1765) show that <strong>the</strong>y could not<br />
have been responsible for a virgin soil epidemic during<br />
<strong>the</strong> first decades <strong>of</strong> European contact. This leaves influenza<br />
as <strong>the</strong> last remaining candidate, but <strong>the</strong> evidence is<br />
not conclusive.<br />
We’ll close this essay with <strong>the</strong> letter N, a ma<strong>the</strong>matical<br />
notation used to indicate <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> a population.<br />
Columbus’s bro<strong>the</strong>r Bartholomew supposedly counted a<br />
Taíno population <strong>of</strong> 1,100,000 in 1494. Often repeated<br />
in 16th century accounts, Las Casas eventually decided<br />
that <strong>the</strong> N was too small for <strong>the</strong> purposes <strong>of</strong> his polemic<br />
against <strong>the</strong> mistreatment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Natives. Within 30 years<br />
he first tripled and <strong>the</strong>n quadrupled <strong>the</strong> N to 4 million<br />
souls. Although <strong>the</strong> numbers were obviously inflated to<br />
serve a “moral” agenda, historians felt a need to explain<br />
<strong>the</strong> rapid demise <strong>of</strong> thriving Caribbean societies, and <strong>the</strong>y<br />
did so by proposing virgin soil epidemics caused by Old<br />
World diseases.<br />
Bottom line: It is unlikely that disease was <strong>the</strong> major<br />
factor in <strong>the</strong> depopulation <strong>of</strong> Hispaniola and demise <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Taínos at <strong>the</strong> dawn <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 16th century.<br />
In a future essay we’ll explore exciting new genetics<br />
research that could dramatically improve our ability<br />
to calculate past population numbers. By knowing how<br />
many people were susceptible, we can better appreciate<br />
<strong>the</strong> historical impacts <strong>of</strong> infectious diseases. There is still<br />
a lot to be learned about <strong>the</strong> letters R and N. In <strong>the</strong> meantime,<br />
wear a mask, wash your hands, socially distance<br />
and get vaccinated. a<br />
Dr. Lindsay Keegan is Research Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Division <strong>of</strong> Epidemiology (University <strong>of</strong> Utah); Dr.<br />
Betsy Carlson is Senior Archaeologist at Sou<strong>the</strong>astern<br />
Archaeological Research (SEARCH, Inc.) in Jonesville, FL;<br />
Dr. Michael Pateman is former Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Turks &<br />
Caicos National Museum and currently Curator/Lab<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> AEX Maritime Museum on Grand Bahama;<br />
and Dr. Bill Keegan is Curator <strong>of</strong> Caribbean Archaeology<br />
at <strong>the</strong> Florida Museum <strong>of</strong> Natural History (University <strong>of</strong><br />
Florida).<br />
Serving international & domestic clients in real estate, property development,<br />
mortgages, corporate & commercial matters, immigration, & more.<br />
TEL 649.946.4261 TMW@TMWLAW.TC WWW.TWAMARCELINWOLF.COM<br />
Taino Paintings<br />
by Theodore Morris<br />
tainopaintings.weebly.com<br />
mail:morris<strong>the</strong>odore@hotmail.com<br />
3910 Longhorn Dr - Sarasota, Fl34233<br />
<strong>Times</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islands</strong> <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 35