▁cause ▁of ▁dep op ulation . ▁This ▁combined ▁with ▁other ▁factors ▁such ▁as ▁dispos session ▁from ▁European / Can ad ian ▁settlement s ▁and ▁numerous ▁violent ▁conflicts ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁forty - ▁to ▁eight y - percent ▁ab original ▁population ▁decrease ▁after ▁contact . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 6 3 0 s , ▁small po x ▁killed ▁over ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁Wy and ot ▁( H ur on ), ▁who ▁controlled ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁North ▁American ▁fur ▁trade ▁in ▁what ▁became ▁Canada . ▁They ▁were ▁reduced ▁to ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁ ▁Histor ian ▁David ▁Hen ige ▁has ▁argued ▁that ▁many ▁population ▁figures ▁are ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁arbitrary ▁formulas ▁select ively ▁applied ▁to ▁numbers ▁from ▁un re li able ▁historical ▁sources . ▁He ▁bel ieves ▁this ▁is ▁a ▁weak ness ▁un recogn ized ▁by ▁several ▁contrib utors ▁to ▁the ▁field , ▁and ▁ins ists ▁there ▁is ▁not ▁sufficient ▁evidence ▁to ▁produce ▁population ▁numbers ▁that ▁have ▁any ▁real ▁meaning . ▁He ▁character izes ▁the ▁modern ▁tr end ▁of ▁high ▁estimates ▁as ▁" pse udo - s cient ific ▁number - cr unch ing ." ▁ ▁Hen ige ▁does ▁not ▁advoc ate ▁a ▁low ▁population ▁estimate , ▁but ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁sc ant y ▁and ▁un re li able ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁evidence ▁rend ers ▁broad ▁estimates ▁in ev it ably ▁suspect , ▁saying ▁" high ▁coun ters " ▁( as ▁he ▁calls ▁them ) ▁have ▁been ▁particularly ▁flag rant ▁in