16. Disease in Detention Camps
Before the forced marches even began, thousands of Native Americans were confined in overcrowded, unsanitary detention camps. These temporary holding areas quickly became breeding grounds for disease—measles, dysentery, and typhus spread unchecked, claiming many lives. The National Park Service reports that, for some, the ordeal ended before they ever set foot on the Trail. These deadly conditions magnified the suffering, with families losing loved ones in the shadow of their impending journey west.
