1903: Overcrowding, poor ventilation contribute to deaths in boarding schools

Indian boarding schools are built hastily or adapted from existing barracks, and officials bring Native children to them with little prior health screening. Some children are healthy, while others are infected with tuberculosis and the eye disease trachoma, which are rampant on reservations. In the dormitories, overcrowding and lack of ventilation lead to the quick spread of disease, causing many deaths among students. The Office of Indian Affairs orders health screenings for incoming students.

Theme

Epidemics, Federal-Tribal Relations

Region

Arctic, California, Great Basin, Great Plains, Northeast, Northwest Coast, Plateau, Southeast, Southwest, Subarctic