Ishi — Yahi Indian: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 16:43, 17 February 2020

Historical Essay

by Joe Caffentzis

Ishi posing with a shelter.

Ishi talking to an audience.

Ishi: Last of the Yahi

In 1911 a man wandered out of the central California wilderness and was discovered by a slaughterhouse near Oroville, southeast of Chico. Unable to communicate they thought him mad. He was put in jail. He languished there.

Ishi was not crazy. The local police telegraphed the University of California, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs remanded Ishi to the University's care, under Alfred Kroeber and Thomas T. Waterman. With the help of the few remaining elders from neighboring tribes, they learned his nation: Yahi, and he was referred to as "Ishi", which means man in his language.

The Yahi were living a furtive existence near Mount Lassen. Ishi's village had endured a vigilante war for nearly 30 years. The settlers didn't even know there were any Yahi left. He had lived alone for several months, as the last of his tribe, before walking out of his own land.

In leaving the territory of his people Ishi committed an unthinkable act in his own society. However, his mind was anything but dull. Ishi was asked what he thought when shown an increasingly popular modern wonder; the airplane. He simply asked, "Is there a white man up there?"

Ishi lived the last several years of his life at the San Francisco Anthropology Museum. He made the most amazing bead-work quivers, and his bows showed the greatest craftsmanship. He did this in front of an enthralled public, 3 days a week, as a display there. The last Yahi, a living diorama.

Ishi with a bow

Ishi, while living at the Parnassus Heights campus of UCSF, spent time at his cave, hidden near in the forest near the top of Mt. Sutro.

Photo: Chris Carlsson

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Image:nativam$ishi----yahi-indian.jpg]]
+'''<font face = Papyrus> <font color = maroon> <font size = 4>Historical Essay</font></font> </font>'''
-Ishi: Last of the Yahi
+''by Joe Caffentzis''
-In 1911 a man wandered out of the central California wilderness and collapsed near a farm. In Oroville north of Chico, he was put in jail. Unable to communicate they thought him mad. He languished there.
+[[Image:nativam$ishi-and-a-shelter.jpg]]
-Ishi was not crazy. The local police telegraphed the University of California, and Alexander Kroeber was eventually dispatched. The Bureau of Indian Affairs remanded Ishi to the University's care. With the help of the few remaining elders from neighboring tribes, they learned his name, and his nation: Yahi.
+'''Ishi posing with a shelter.'''
+[[Image:nativam$ishi-talking.jpg]]
-The Yahi were living a furtive existence near Mount Lassen. Ishi's village had endured a vigilante war for nearly 30 years. The settlers didn't even know there were any Yahi left. He had lived alone for several months, as the last of his tribe, before walking out of his own land.
+'''Ishi talking to an audience.'''
-In leaving the territory of his people Ishi committed an unthinkable act in his own society. However, his mind was anything but dull. Ishi was asked what he thought when shown an increasingly popular modern wonder; the airplane. He simply asked, Is there a white man up there? Ishi was not fazed by the novelty of the modern world.
+'''Ishi: Last of the Yahi'''
-Ishi lived the last several years of his life at the San Francisco Anthropology Museum. He made the most amazing bead-work quivers, and his bows showed the greatest craftsmanship. He did this in front of an enthralled public, 3 days a week, as a display there. The last Yahi, a living diorama.
+In 1911 a man wandered out of the central California wilderness and was discovered by a slaughterhouse near Oroville, southeast of Chico. Unable to communicate they thought him mad. He was put in jail. He languished there.
-''Joe Caffentzis''
+Ishi was not crazy. The local police telegraphed the University of California, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs remanded Ishi to the University's care, under Alfred Kroeber and Thomas T. Waterman. With the help of the few remaining elders from neighboring tribes, they learned his nation: Yahi, and he was referred to as "Ishi", which means man in his language.
-[[Image:nativam$ishi-and-a-shelter.jpg]]
+The Yahi were living a furtive existence near Mount Lassen. Ishi's village had endured a vigilante war for nearly 30 years. The settlers didn't even know there were any Yahi left. He had lived alone for several months, as the last of his tribe, before walking out of his own land.
-Ishi posing with a shelter.
+In leaving the territory of his people Ishi committed an unthinkable act in his own society. However, his mind was anything but dull. Ishi was asked what he thought when shown an increasingly popular modern wonder; the airplane. He simply asked, "Is there a white man up there?"
-[[Image:nativam$ishi-talking.jpg]]
+Ishi lived the last several years of his life at the San Francisco Anthropology Museum. He made the most amazing bead-work quivers, and his bows showed the greatest craftsmanship. He did this in front of an enthralled public, 3 days a week, as a display there. The last Yahi, a living diorama.
-Ishi talking to an audience.
 [[Image:nativam$ishi-with-bow.jpg]]
-Ishi with a bow
+'''Ishi with a bow'''
+[[Image:Ishis-cave5968.jpg]]
+'''Ishi, while living at the Parnassus Heights campus of UCSF, spent time at his cave, hidden near in the forest near the top of Mt. Sutro.'''
-Contributors to this page include:
+''Photo: Chris Carlsson''
-''Shaping San Francisco,San Francisco,CA - Publisher or Photographer ''
-Caffentzis,Joe - Writer
+[[First Contact |Prev. Document]]  [[Shellmound at San Bruno Mountain |Next Document]]
-[[First Contact |Prev. Document]]  [[Indigenous People and SF Menu |Next Document]]
+[[category:Indigenous]] [[category:1920s]] [[category:1930s]] [[category:1940s]] [[category:1950s]] [[category:Famous characters]]