What form of trans oceanic contact is most ideal for the indigenous peoples of the Americas?

Thanks for your responses everyone! I agree with some saying Polynesian contact is the most ideal. With outrigger canoes, trade between Mesoamerica and the Andes would be even greater than OTL and the pigs could provide a new source of food. Knowledge would disseminate and other areas could join the trade network. I wonder if the sailing technology could cross into the Caribbean and spread to the Gulf of Mexico or the Amazon?

Any European contact would probably have to be on the periphery of a trade route so as to keep the expeditions sporadic. They could trade tools, sheep, horses, etc little by little.

If anyone else from Europe, Africa, or Asia shows up on the shores of the Americas, I believe a lack of gunpowder on their part would make things easier for the indigenous peoples, by virtue of having one less thing to replicate (at least until they are back on their feet relatively speaking).
 
Sorry in advance for the large block of text. I tried to summarize where possible but I love virology!

Anyway, the origin of variola minor is an ongoing topic of research. Variola minor itself didn't spread until the late 19th century, after which it rapidly replaced variola major. That would suggest that either variola minor didn't exist before that time or the conditions didn't exist for it to spread as rapidly as it did. Researchers say that genetically, variola minor originates from a West African variola clade that is described as having intermediate symptoms, i.e. it was more fatal than variola minor, but less fatal than variola major. West African variola is estimated to have evolved between 1100-1300 years ago (in between 900-1000 AD), and variola minor is estimated to have started diverging from West African variola about 800 years ago (roughly 1200 AD).
I also like virology, as well as medical topics in general. :)

The following map shows smallpox variants from samples collected in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Doesn't answer our topic, but gives a good smattering how complex the field can be.

And from other sources, Alastrim seems to mean the minor variant.

http://m.pnas.org/content/104/40/15787/F1.large.jpg
 
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