Saskatchewan River Watershed-Diseases travel along water routes and trade routes

One could say that as this disease began its path of diffusion eastward along the overland routes, that it pretty much followed the river banks making its way towards Lake Winnepeg.  To remain in an infectious state, it had to travel mostly from person to person, cabin to cabin, encampment to encampment, tipi to tipi.  At the time there were a number of Mandan villages situated along the South Saskatchewan.  These Mandans had trade relations with other Native American groups south of the Canadian Border down in the Dakotas. Most of the Mandans and their partners resided on the Missouri River or one of its tributaries, such as the Red River.  This trade facilitated the diffusion of small pox along these trade routes,  So in due time, as the disease made its way eastward towards more settled parts of Canada, the numerous business establishments where Native Americans tended to aggregate assisted it in making its way along the path leading to Hudson Bay. For now (as of 10/2011) there is very little if any evidence suggesting an initial introduction of measles by way of any south to southeastern routes; the population requirements were there, but no documented introduction of measles from Toronto, the Great Lakes, or any of the many former New France settlements could be found.

Once the final destination of this smoldering epidemic was reached, the shoreline of Hudson Bay, this disease stopped because it had reached the end of its routes geographically.  Fortunately, the travel across Hudson Bay wasn’t able to spread the disease much beyond the immediate Cree settlements.  Even the trip towards the relatively close Severn House, from both directions, seemed to be protected from this contagion.

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