Today,August 28,is the day,Ishi as we know him,was captured at the Ward Slaughter house,near Oroville Ca.
While there is much debate and speculation,regarding his history and story,it is without doubt,that on this day,the man,came into the modern age and re awakened the world of archery and "Primitive skills" to many.
That's a defining moment in American history.In Australia our last remaining Aborigines wandered in from the desert in the 1980's.Its sad in one respect but to see and learn how indigenous people lived is fantastic.We all share that ancestry at one time we were hunters and collectors too..Its a shame that so many first contacts resulted in native people firing from continental European deseases or acts of genocide by the first European colonists.They made a movie about Ishi but how factual is is for me is uncertain.Thanks for the reminder.Here's to Ishi.'s memory and legacy.Cheers Ishi . OSR
I also wonder what the evidence is he awakened archery in America. After coming out, he lived less than 5 years, often sick, and various friends went on to promote european archery. I have to this day not seen any bowhunter or archer who employed his style though the world being what it is there must be many in the paleo community who have taken up the tools. There is a forum for everything.
There are some wonderful photographs of Ishi, and I have used them as a base for leatherwork carvings. He has a very complete aspect, very difficult to do justice to in a portrait.
Ishi was hiding out in a corral,when he was discovered.It was believed,that he was waiting for the crew at the slaughter house to leave,so he could pilfer a little meat scraps,in the discard pile.He was spotted by a young boy of 14 yrs old,who used to hang around the crew,that was not an employee,but the son of a neighboring dairy farmer.He was heading on home and was cutting through the corrals when he encountered Ishi crouched down hiding by a tree in a corner of a corral.He alerted the crew of his presence and they turned some dogs loose to trap and contain him.
As to my claim,to him awakening archery in America.....
He inspired Saxton Pope,to archery,who later learned the english style from Mr Will Compton and then lectured and wrote of archery to inspire others to take up the bow.I know of a couple of people who claimed that seeing Ishi at the university,inspired them to pursue archery,that they otherwise didnt know was being practiced by any others at the time.There are many,who are involved with Primitive skills that have come to it and archery as a side effect of researching Ishis story.there are a couple "Primitive" sites that you can see this,to this day.
Thanks Traxx, I have read various accounts but good to have it brought back. What you describe does sound like a capture.
I am still skeptical about the whole resurrection of archery thing. As an example, archery for both men and women was in the Olympics from 1900 for men and thereafter for women.
traxx, don't forget the connection with Art Young. Being a respected big game hunter and killing the same animals with bow and arrow legitimized Archery as a hunting weapon, and that started with his learning from Ishi in the country where he grew up. It was a sad situation for an intelligent human being to be subjected to.
Bowlim, Im not saying people were not involved with archery at the time,as they certainly were.The Thompson Brothers were involved in archery and writing about it,about the time Ishi was born.There were still many Native people,engaged in archery as a means of survival,before,during and even after Ishis time.What i meant by that was,that there were many people,who were not involved with archery,until they were exposed to Ishis story.I have read the accounts on these sites for years,especially on the sites dedicated to the "Primitive" side of the sport and the skills associated with early man.I can attest to the fact,that Ishi had a huge impact,on my early development in my interest in archery.
Larry,i have not forgotten Mr Young.In fact,i have much more respect for Mr Young and Mr Compton,than i have for Saxton Pope,but thats another subject,for another day.LOL.While the 3 did in fact meet and know Ishi,i believe it was only Pope,that hunted with Ishi,in his old Stompin grounds.It was on the research trip made by the crew,of the university to Mill and Deer Creek.No deer were taken by way of the bow and arrow on that trip,but the effectiveness of Ishi's tackle,was tested on a rifle killed deer,taken by Merle Apperson.I guess the educated folk,needed validation of what Ishi already knew and proved. Concerning the non game taken by way of arrow,by any in the party,it was documented,off record by Thomas Watterman that Ishi Blamed Pope for that Failure.Apparently,Ishi was quite irritated,that the "Popey",wouldnt adhere to the pre hunt customs and that the lack of patience and stealth by Pope,was the result of that failure.Seems there were a few instances of contempt,between Ishi and Pope and Alred Kroeber on that trip,as well as some between Ishi and Jack Apperson,which resulted in a physical altercation,between Apperson and Watterman,resulting in Apperson having a change of attitude by the young Mr Watterman.
Very interesting stuff. I have really enjoyed the new to me info. on Ishi. I wish I had been exposed to the story as a kid. Did any of the old TV or movie cowboys do a show that depicted the story? It would have made a great episode or added greatly to a movie. I guess legends will always beat out reality.
Traxx, thanks for the recommendation of the book, "Ishi's Brain" by Orin Starn. It is the story of the search for Ishi's brain that was sent to the Smithsonian Institution by Pope and finally repatriated with the rest of his remains in 2000. Lots of good pictures from the Mill Creek Hunt. bvd
I've seen pictures of Ishi shooting a bow. Believe he shot instinctively, but terrible form shooting unmatched and untuned equipment; no way could he have survived shooting like that with that equipment. Just basing my opinion on everything I’ve learned on the “Wall.” Yes, I jest. ;^)
You had me goin there,till the end,because you wouldnt believe how many people have made the same type claims,but in all seriousness.
In fact,there were those who made the claims of counterfeit,while Ishi was alive and Kroeber was presenting him to the world as a "Wild" man from the region.Some of the Speagle family,who knew him personally,were skepticle at first,since Ishi had put on so much weight,compared to when they knew him and he had become much more pale compared to when he ran around with much less clothes covering him.Ishi quickly Proved himself though,by recounting events that only someone who was there would know and by showing them,he knew that country,better than anyone.One example was Ishi recounting Marse Speagle,pilfering a cinnamon bear bear hide from one of Ishis hideouts,while Ishi watched from mere yards away.Ishi described the Horse Marse was riding that day,what he was wearing and exactly what all he took.He described the bear hide,down to how it was killed.Marse brought out the hide and it was determined by the wound holes,that it was,in fact the same hide.Marse gave the hide back to Ishi.
Some Ishi/Kroeber context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_L._Kroeber
Kroeber's daughter, Ursula Le Guin will be familiar to some science fiction readers. Her writing created planets with civilizations. Her mother wrote "Ishi in Two Worlds"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin
"Le Guin grew up in a household of anthropologists where she was surrounded by the remarkable case of Ishi – a Native American acclaimed in his time as the "last wild Indian" – and his interaction with the white man's world. Le Guin's father was director of the University of California Museum of Anthropology, where Ishi was studied and worked as a research assistant. Her mother wrote the bestseller Ishi in Two Worlds. Similar elements are echoed through many of Le Guin's stories – from Planet of Exile and City of Illusion to The Word for World Is Forest and The Dispossessed.[31] "
Although my earlier post down playing Ishi’s equipment and shooting form was in jest, I certainly don’t question the outdoor survival knowledge and hunting skills of Ishi and other early Native Americans. I’m sure their prowess more than made up for inadequate equipment and “shooting form” deficiencies.
On this day.... Ishi was sitting in the Oroville city jail,but not locked up in a cell.By this time,Sheriff Webber had decided the man was not a danger to anyone or himself and he was even escorted outside to the lawn to get a little fresh air and stretch his legs.He was escorted by constable John Toland,for safety to Ishi,as word had spread rapidly and there were quite a lot of curious onlookers trying to get a look at the wild indian.It seems Ishi had a new found love of doughnuts,by this time.
Thanks for bringing this up Traxx, very interesting bit of history. Ishi was unknown to me until I got into archery. I wish I'd known about him sooner. His story should be known to all Americans.
More than you know runner. As Ishi said,"Whiskey tee die man" Translated to,Whiskey kills people and his opinion of that was based on,Lige Graham poisoning Ishis people,in Whiskey bottles.On several occasions,they were raiding his cabin and among the things taken,was his whiskey stash and he aimed to put a stop to it,much to the disapproval,of the Speagle family.The final act,that put lige to the task,was 20 200 lb hogs killed,butchered and carried off.Would have taken several people to pull this off.this transpired in 1911,so that contradicts Kroebers version and record of events and thats just the tip of the iceberg.
When Ishi went back in with the crew from the university,there were several old whiskey bottles at Sulpher creek camp.Ishi refused to camp there,until the bottles were removed and buried.
Difference between lean and healthy, and fat and not healthy, is calories in vs calories burned.
IMO there is too much emphasis put on what type of food the calories come from. Daily labor and exercise burns off the calories taken in, regardless of what has been eaten. What the calories are derived from is essentially unimportant, all that is important is they need to be burned.
You gotta move to stay lean and healthy. Look at bodies of Olympians. Endless hard core workouts behind all olympians at the peak of performance and that is why they look like they do. The peer group in the same age bracket is fat and unhealthy because they don't move.
IMO it is just gum flapping trying to point a finger at why we are fat, what the gov't should do about it, what changes should be made to our society, etc.
Reduce your intake and increase your work load and you will start the road to healthy lean.
Thankfully, there were people around Oroville that didn't automatically kill a wayward 'savage. And again, thanks to Kroeber and constituents for the more personal information about Ishi while he was alive and working/living with with so-called civilized society. I always was taken with his words on his death bed that were said to be, "I go, you stay."
At that time,it seems Ishi was more in Danger of being killed by Natives than by a Saldu.As i stated,Ishis band was poisoned and many of them died.Ishi was the Doctor,by inheritance of this band.By custom,if a doctor lost too many patients,they would be outcast and often killed. It was recorded,that Ishi was against the trip back to Deer Creek and was quite nervous when they first arrived,until he conducted a solo night recon mission.He seemed to be more at ease afterward.
While at the Oroville Jail and before Watterman arrived 5 days later,it was offered to Ishi to be taken back to his home country and released but he refused.He also chose to go and live at the university rather than to be taken to a rancheria.It was noted,that many local Natives including several Maidu tried speaking with Ishi,while at the Jail and he would not converse with them.It was recorded,that he seemed nervous around other native people. Later it was revealed that many of his words were that of other nations and his doctor songs were in the Maidu language.He would not have sung and used doctor songs,if he didnt know what they meant.It has long been known by Native people of the area,that Ishis mother was maidu and was taken captive as a young girl to be the wife,of a Yana.Ishis father was presumably killed,in the 3 knolls massacre when Ishi was young.Therefore Ishis mother would have been Free to go back to her own people,if she chose by custom.It was reported that Ishi conveyed to the Staff at SF,that the reason he was in the Oroville area was,he was searching for a friendly Saldu man that he remembered giving him candy while he was with his mother,visiting relatives in Yankee Hill,which was a Maidu Rancheria.He was seen by several and even fed by some,both voluntary and not,in Yankee Hill,just prior to his being at the slaughter house.Frank Day and his father Twobo,saw Ishi just days before he arrived at the slaughter house and they reported him doctoring on another man,who appeared to be gut shot.Both men had long hair,but when Ishi was captured his hair was singed in Mourning.
Contrary to my earlier statement,which is a bit disappointing and sad is.... I posted this topic on 2 other sites that are geared toward the primitive aspects and have gathered nearly no input or participation. You guys rock!!!!
Kroeber's first wife, Henriette, died of tuberculosis a year before Ishi did. He may have contacted it from being around her?
Kroeber was quite upset when he learned Saxton Pope wanted to do an autopsy on Ishi. He tried to stop it but was not quick enough in his efforts. He was in New York City at the time of Ishi's death and had sent a letter to museum director Edward Gifford to put a stop to it. Ishi died the day after the letter was sent. bvd
Yes... Science be damned stated Kroeber,but he still donated Ishis brain,to the Smithsonian,knowing full well of Ishis religious beliefs concerning such things.Does this represent the convictions of a person who proposes to"Stands by our Friend"?
In fact,it seems the more i learn,concerning the actual personal interactions between Ishi,Pope and Kroeber,the less respect i have for the latter two.The More i learn of the same,between Ishi and Thomas Watterman,the more i admire Mr Watterman.He seemed to have developed a true friendship with Ishi and treated him as a fellow human being,rather than a curiosity or specimen.There was a mutual respect between the two of them,that even went as far as Mr Watterman going to a physical altercation,in defense of Ishi,as i alluded to previously.Apparently,there was some contention between Watterman and Kroeber,over this very subject.Watterman did all the serious legwork in the case and knew most of the facts concerning Ishis story and some serious contradictions,that were presented by Kroeber,but was ordered to stand down and keep quiet.I have read letters attesting to such and it has been confirmed by Mr Watterman's daughter.
I want to state,that if anyone interpreted my post after buster v davenport as a personal attack or otherwise aggressive toward him,it was not intended as such.After reading it,i could see how it could be interpreted that way and could cause some,to have pause,from contributing to the thread. I apologize if it was and have sent Mr Davenport,a Pm stating the same.
As for refined food, I have no doubt ConAgra food corps could process ashes into boxed food, tout the new product in a massive TV ad campaign, launch the product with end cap displays at the markets, and make vaults full of cash. That's how they roll nowadays. lol
Going back to a point,of an earlier post,i just listened to a recording of a Gambling song by Ishi.It is a song i learned as a child,many years ago,taught to me,by Maidu Elders,in the Mountain Maidu dialect.The same dialect that his doctor songs were translated as being from,by some of those very same elders.
Well.... Ill try to keep this as brief as possible,since im not a writer.
It started with my grandfather,who was alive,when this all happened.He had an infatuation with the Story.He was a legendary figure in his own right,and was involved with events of some historical significance in his life that were inaccurately portrayed and reported on,so he was a bit skeptical of the facts of other cases,as well as this one.Later,he became the range conservationist of the USFS Lassen district.This was before T Kroebers book was released.In his job,he became acquainted with individuals who were directly involved with and had intimate knowledge of the history of the story and he found that his hunches were correct,in many cases.When Kroebers book was published there were many who refuted the claims made,but not much of it was published until recently.
I inherited this obsession from my Granfather,who took me with him,when he visited some of the people who were still alive,by the time i was old enough to understand any of it.It was strictly an oral tradition among us.Later as i grew up with the local Native culture,i began to understand a different perspective of events that changed my perception even further.I was privileged to become acquainted with several Native elders,such as Frank and Wally Day, who had intimate knowledge of the story and shared it with me,almost being in disbelief,that someone of my age,had any interest in these old things.It eventually evolved into much more,that i was blessed with. Anyway,i guess in more recent years,the interest in the subject had a resurgence of interest,especially in the anthropological field.My grandfather was sought out for info and leads to other sources.I sat in on most of those and learned even more.Some of those,one in particular took that info and did further research himself,finding even more exciting and accurate information,of which they shared with me,as unfortunately my Grandfather had passed on by that time. Some of this is published by authors such as Orin Starn and Richard Burrill.
Kind of a funny story,that ties in with this is...
In 4th grade,a brief history is taught about Ishi in Ca schools.Luckily,my 4th grade teacher,was a family friend who knew of our history concerning the subject.She pulled me aside,before the start of the lesson and asked me not to interrupt her lesson or become argumentative during it.She said she had a curriculum she was instructed to relay and that she would announce to the class,that if anyone wanted to pursue the subject any further,they could look me up.But she did ask me to assist her and the class with the proper pronunciation of the native words.For some time after that,i was called Ishi boy by many.I kinda liked it,even though it wasnt said in a complimentary manner by some.
My mother, who was raised on Ohlone land north of San Jose, learned generally about Ishi (who was not Ohlone) at Oakland's Castlemont high school in the 30s.
My girlfriend's daughter shot a film that PBS has been showing about Ohlone people who are somehow not a recognized tribe but did occupy most of the Bay Area.
Many of the Maidu people,are still not federally recognized or have lost their recognition lately as well and these people are Ishi relatives.Go figure.
I remember when I was 9 years old, my father got a letter from the BIA. It said that basically was not an Indian any longer because there were so few of his tribe remaining with more than 50% blood. (He was about 90%). I remember that he read it to us at dinner, ate for a while, and suddenly said, "Don't feel much different being a white man". My brother and I nearly fell off our chairs laughing.
just SAD it seems Ishi was exploited by so many.Obviously Ishi 's memories live on and this has been interesting to find out more indirect back ground information.We all get something well worth knowing from this.Great post OSR
Traxx has family history in this area. He has worked ranches in that area all his life. His relative's names appear in the history of many of the towns and wide spots in the rural highways. Driving thru that area with him is a lesson in local and family history. He is a later day student of all things Ishi. And he snores at camp.....
Thanks Traxx always interested to hear more stories you've acquired
I got quite interested in Ishi a few years ago. Looked over the area he lived on google earth. I wanted to make a bow from one seed juniper in his style. I ended up trading buffalo horns with Ed Scott and I was wanting a juniper stage from Ed. He ended up sinewing it for me and then we worked out a trade for more horns for him to finish the bow and do some art work based on Ishi. It turned out great and this was done in 2011 on the 100 year anniversary of Ishi appearance at the stock yard. I will keep that bow and tell the story to those interested. Ed was a very generous man and was sad to hear of his passing last year.
I have a juniper stave I brought back from Southern Colorado that I will be sinewing with the sinew from my elk kill and hope to take it out there for a hunt as well
I feel little like OSR.When I read his story many years ago I felt like he had been treated as a curiosity,maybe a living anthroplogy project.I really felt bad about the brain/mol dissection(obvious TB) and the "death mask".But he was the last,he was starving and more than likely his final years were the best of his life in terms of turmoil and strife.I wonder if Pope considered him a friend,an equal or as a pet.
Fact is times were much different then and accepted things then would be controversial now.
Actually Nolz... There is definite proof,that he was not the last and that there were still a few living out in the brush,even after Ishi came into the Slaughter house.Many say and believe,that they were not there much longer though and migrated back to other native people on the rancherias. It is told,that Ishis female relative that was seen fleeing the raided camp,died at Berry Creek rancheria,many years later.It is documented,that even Ishi stated after going back into Deer creek,with the SF crew,that he believed she was still alive.
Concerning His tribe... Many believe,I being one of them,that the people that Ishi was living with in the canyon,were people from different nations that had come together to escape for various reasons.Some were wanted and marked people by both Native and non native people.Some were refugees from rancherias and to escape the long march to Round valley reservation.some were even beieved to be from Bidwells ranch.There were native individuals who grew up in the canyon,that are known and documented,to have outlived Ishi. Most all of these claims,Kroeber was aware of,but chose to ignore.
Anthropologists have always been generally interested in workable descriptions of cultures, not much about individuals. Ishi was used as an example of the kind of people California had displaced.
Without Kroeber's efforts it's likely that the general Anglo/Hispano and presumably Asian population today would have no sense of the native groups who had lived Northern CA. Thanks to Kroeber, people like my mother in Oakland, in the 30s, did know something about California's Native Americans.
In the Sixties, thanks partially to anthropologists from Kroeber Hall in Berkeley, people like me knew something about our contemporaries in American Indian Movement and Native American Church, about the struggles on various reservations, as well as about refined arts...eg baskets that held water, still being made by solitary old ladies.
that may be true for some,but when i want to really know about people or a person,i figure why go through all the runaround,go straight to the source myself.Ive seen way too many inconsistencies,inaccuracies and downright liberties taken by anthro's in my life to take their word as the gospel and thats not just concerning Native issues.
100% agree with that traxx. That's like a guy that has read a couple carpentry books or taken a Home Depot seminar telling me about my trade. It isn't that they are worthless, but I always favor experience over intellectual discourse learned from books. Some of the interpretations I have read or seen on NOVA etc. are just over the top goofy.
The only small untruth that i have found in Ad's story,is the age of Floyd Hefner.He was 14 at the time.Maybe Ad was bad at guessing age or maybe Floyd was small for his age.Now Frank Day was 9 when he and his father saw Ishi previous to this incident.
When the Film,posted by JustSomeDude,was being filmed,i was on a remote ranch and wasnt even aware of it.I did have a few people i knew,take part in it.You will see their names in the credits,such as Phoenix,Preston,Wilson,Lowry,Miller and Mills. The Story i got from them was,that Graham Green wasnt very receptive or friendly to any of those common NDN's.
Problem with any sort of history and gossip and family stories is that, being human, we recall and repeat selectively...and we reliably bash somebody or other.
Funny thing isnt it JK. T Kroeber,published another book several years later,that was a composition of stories and accounts from people of the region,including those with first hand accounts and experiences in the subject.Most of them had contradictions of her husbands and consequently,her earlier version of facts and events.I dont know if this was deliberate on her part,but they are there none the less.
traxx, seems like you may mostly want to bash the deceased Theodora Kroeber. Nobody would remember Ishi the man if she hadn't written her first book.
How about stepping up to the plate and organizing your memories of the tales you were told, to tell about Ishi in a better fashion (including attributions to specific story tellers, the way anthropologists typically do).
You want to tell a fuller, more accurate story. Organize it and make it available to download. Otherwise, your perspective and your stories about Ishi will be lost forever. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want online posts to be the final words for somebody who wanted to cash in on Ishi in the future, citing only something they read somewhere on the Internet, rather than your own writing.
Bash? No,just stating the facts.I dont blame T Kroeber as who, was her only real source of info,regarding the subject.Ive read accounts where even Kroeber as well as Pope have contradicted themselves.It is what it is. Heres an example...
The Tribe "Yahi" No one,that i have talked with,or researched,had ever heard of such a people,before Kroeber announced it to the world and this being after Ishi,was living at the university.The Non Natives called them the Mill Creeks,the Maidu Called them,Kombo and what was left of the Yana,called them Nozi.The name Yahi was never used by Kroeber or Watterman,in earlier writings,or correspondence,but Yana or southern Yana was used.It is documented by Kroeber that Ishi told long tales concerning a legendary Bowyer and archer,whom they called "Chuno Yahi" and was translated as Wood man.It was told he owned an Ax and a long knife to make bows and was considered the principle master bowyer,of the people.The name was also translated,as being from the pit river language. I cant completely blame Kroeber for all the contradictions in the story though.He was,over reliant at first on Sam Batwi,who proved to be less than reliable and proved to be of questionable character.He seemed to have taken liberties himself when professing to have communicated with Ishi.Considering the limited dialog between them,and the Fact,that Ishi didnt care much for Batwi,i seriously doubt,he communicated detailed personal info to him.
I dont feel,there is a plate to step up to.My Grandfather and i have spoken with many people,through the years and so have others who know things,many of them are published already by others.To me,this and things of a few other subjects are just things in my family history,that i enjoy talking about with others who are interested.I dont plan to "Cash" in on any of it,as i feel like i would somehow be selling out if i did and that it really doesnt belong to me,to do so.thats probably hard for people to understand in this day.I guess i got that Attitude,from the native side,of my upbringing.I have been contacted by some,to do just what you suggest,some of them,through this site.If they choose to take that info and record it,i give them my blessing and only want to be acknowledged as helping with it.
You should get with Berkley and schedule a meeting. Then allow a recorded interview for however long it took. No cashing in with that, and future generations get to read it or listen to it if they choose to do so.
Any perspective has value. Yours seems it might be valuable as a somewhat unique source with so much time having passed since his discovery. Actually, significant value in the collective of all things Ishi.
In the lower level of the Haggin Museum (top tier old school museum) in Stockton CA there is a display of paleo Californians that features Miwok tools and weapons, and if I am not mistaken they are actual tools of the People, not replicas. Bows and arrows included.
I was under the impression Miwok were part of Yana (Yahi?) that populated the eastern side of the sierras, west of the high sierras, in the heavily forested foothills. Near Stockton, where my wife grew up.
Actually, The Yana,were a very distinct people in the area,differing from the surrounding people of other neighboring nations,in their customs and even their dress.It is said,that they were more akin to the Modoc,in far north eastern Ca and southern Or. This is another of many aspects that gives rise to my and others suspicions as to who Ishi and his people truly were.
Trust me,I wish Kroebers version of things were the absolute truth,I mean who wouldnt.It is a great fantasy,that even i love the idea of,but the time frame,the location and the information i have learned through the years just doesn't,support it.I know,that it rains on some peoples parade and trust me,we have run into opposition from it from all angles.I have even run into opposition,from a member of my own family{By Marriage}who is a published anthro.He seems to arrogantly dismiss anything from anyone concerning this,who isnt formally educated in the anthropological field,Native or non,even if the facts are there staring him in the face. Needless to say,we dont get invited to family functions together very often.LOL
Carolinabob... Dont know about ILF bows n carbon arrows,but who knows,you may be right. It was stated that Ishi was the last primitive man,living a stone age existence,but that may not be entirely true either.Accounts by a few say different and suggest,that Ishis people had excepted more modern articles,in their lives,long before Ishi came to Oroville.The camp that was raided,contained many items from the modern world.From the many raids on Cabins and ranches they obviously,developed a taste for non native and modern packaged foods and drink. One thing,that i have never seen printed in Kroebers book,or any other,that i recall is,the camp that was raided is in pretty rugged terrain,but only about 2 miles from Speagles cabin,which was in constant use.His upper camp,was even closer to Lige Grahams cabin.It has been documented by many,that there was some peaceful interaction with Ishi and his people,prior to the camp being raided.The Speagle family have many stories regarding such,especially about a young Claude Speagle and Ishi,developing a close relationship for a summer.
Thomas Waterman told the newspapers that Ishi was "southern Yana" because he spoke the language. Yet Sam Batwi told Waterman that Ishi's tongue did not sound exactly like the southern dialects of Yana he had heard. The anthropologists thus decided that Ishi and his band must have spoken a fourth dialect of Yana-- and named it "Yahi" after 'yaaxi', Ishi's word for "the people." "Yahi" had a more distinctive, even poetic ring than "Mill Creek" or "southern Yana"; the name added to the drama of Ishi's story by making him the last survivor of a whole tribe, not just an obscure subgroup. American readers were well acquainted with J F Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans", the single best known nineteenth-century book about Indians. Now they could follow in the newspapers the real-life epic of Ishi, the last of the Yahi.
Anthropology was a fairly young undertaking at this time in the country.Up until this time,most people were trying to wipe the people and the culture,from the face of the earth.I think Kroeber was trying to really promote the science and himself to the country and took liberties in sensationalizing the story to attract interest.
Pope, Waterman, Gifford and museum staffers, Robert Warburton and Llewellyn Loud attended. Ishi's funeral. Everyone there knew that Ishi had been dissected, but this did not stop Thomas Waterman from assuring inquiring reporters that every propriety had been observed. The remains of the fabled Yahi fad been "disposed of according to the customs of the California tribes," the anthropologist told the 'San Francisco Examiner'.
The newspapers accepted these declarations at face value. If reporters knew about the dissection, they didn't say so in their stories. Nothing at all was mentioned about the fate of Ishi's brain. bvd
That Ishi was Cremated,according to his custom,is another point of contention with some.While it may have been with some people,it wasnt with others.Im not sure of its practice among the Yana,but it is not the traditional practice among the northern Maidu,with which Ishis mother and uncle,were known to be.I remember reading from Kroebers account and in the HBO movie mentioned earlier,that Ishi Cremated his mother,after her passing but in fact it was revealed by Ishi,while on the return trip to Deer Creek,that he buried his mother.It is recorded,that Ishi tried to keep this info and location from the party,but some noticed an Uneasy attitude from Ishi,when they passed the location and they ended up persuading the story from him.Incidentally,based on religious tradition and protocol of the subject,to breach this subject,outside certain parameters is considered extremely taboo and of bad manners to the native people of that region and is practiced by many to this day.
imo, they exploited Ishi for fame and fortune, But? if they didn't ? Who would have remembered Ishi? I think they made ishi more famouse than them! I like that....ron
Although proud of his skill at chipping arrowheads, he regarded steel as a superior technology and preferred machine-made knives and saws over any stone tool. He also liked doughnuts, pillows, beds, screened porches, and civilization's other creature comforts.
Conducting his own anthropology, Ishi observed the other guests during his first sit-down dinners in San Francisco. He soon managed fork, knife, and napkin with a late Victorian gentleman's decorum. "A certain member of my family," Thomas Waterman admitted only half tongue-in-cheek, "urged me to model my own behavior in such respects after the Indian's shining example." bvd
Hunters from other cultures sitting around a fire eating without utensils don't need any candy @$$ western decorum. There certainly are rules, don't eat with the hand that wipes being one, but sitting around trying to not to offend someone else isn't one of them. I'll take that over a snotty state dinner any day.
Bob, I don't know anything about your personal habits, but I do know from experience that Navajo hunters are serious about the "decorum" you dislike and are devoted "not to offend someone else" because, of course, they are good people.