That defense applies to all Germans born in post-war Germany. However, the attitudes persist there. The disease, while incidental, was exacerbated by the poor conditions in which they were living. Certainly we did not consider it a high priority to treat indigenous people that were sick with our diseases and one could argue that it was convenient to have them die. This moral oversight exacerbated the effects of the diseases.
As for the population estimates, I see ample evidence for high population density in my hikes in the local hills. The destruction of these places seems to be coincident with the arrival of the 49'ers (based upon tree sizes nearby). There is also evidence of intentional damage being done to these sites. Most places that could support people did (as evidenced by archeological remains). The skeletal remains of Native Americans is consistent with a historic habitation density similar to that of European lowlands. That is hardly "pulled out of the air".
Mechanisms and Trends in the Decline of the Costanoan Indian Population of Central California: Health and Nutrition in Pre-contact and Mission Period Environments
by Ann Lucy Wiener Stodder (1986).
The decimation of the California Indian population during the Mission Period was due to many interrelated causes, but the results were clear. Among the Costanoan Indians of the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas, the population dropped by 80% during the Mission Period. This study focuses on the change from traditional adaptation to mission conditions. Both environments are discussed, with an emphasis on nutrition and health.
Age and sex-selective patterns in mortality and depressed birth and fertility rates constituted the mechanisms of population decline. Selective pressures were exerted on infants, children, and women of childbearing age. These pressures also acted upon the adult male. The food producing labor was more sustained than the hunting and gathering activities they were accustomed to, and although they may have had more access to wild foods and meat, their diet was marginal. While the men were the primary food producers for the missions, they were not the food providers for their families. In terms of their output of labor and energy, the food energy returned to the Indians in their diets represented an immense loss, and was inadequate for the maintenance and reproduction of their population and for the survival and growth of their children.
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