The Colonial Pandemic: A Systemic Interpretation of Indigenous Demographic Collapse in the Americas

Abstract: This paper introduces the concept of the "Colonial Pandemic" to analyze the Indigenous demographic collapse in the Americas as a systemic, multicausal event. By integrating historical chronicles, epidemiological models, and system dynamics, the study argues that mortality was driven not just by pathogen virulence, but by a "Systemic Collapse Mortality" feedback loop, where the breakdown of social support structures amplified death rates. The paper also addresses the "Archaeology of Silence," proposing that early European explorers encountered "biological deserts" rather than naturally empty lands.