Ishi, the Last of His Tribe

This historical and soulful account of America's last "Wild Indian" is a great adventure, filled with insights and lessons about compassion. It reminds me of my favorite Native American book, Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears.

Over the years, I have developed a fascination for history, and Author Theodora Kroeber's story of ISHI, LAST OF HIS TRIBE certainly did not disappointment me. Although this story may be subject to a certain amount of romanticism on the part of the Author, I found this version of Ishi's life easy to read and very enlightening. Kroeber's story of Ishi is written with warmth and sympathy, which gives us a deeper understanding of the harsh treatment of the peaceful Yahi Indians. It provides a glimpse of how Ishi must have thought and felt; about himself, about others, and about the world around him. The Author weaves Ishi's story in a way that makes you feel as though you are there; experiencing what he experienced, struggling as he struggled. Ishi's highly peaceful nature is apparent in his extraordinary capacity towards forgiveness, despite their harsh treatment by the Saldu (white man). I have often wondered how the Indians, especially Indians in the Northern regions, managed to survive the winter. This story provides a great deal of information about their daily life, giving us insight into their extensive knowledge for survival. Smoking and drying of fish and meat, and storing of the y'una (acorn) barely provided them with the sustenance they needed for the winter, yet they managed to survive.The myth that California Indians were a simple and childlike race, living only on what they could dig up from the ground, was certainly discounted with this book. Conversely, the Indians showed great wisdom and deep respect for the land, as well as the creatures who inhabited it, being careful to preserve the land while effectively living off it. Their knowledge was then handed down from generation to generation, ensuring their success for the future - at least, until the Saldu arrived. In truth, the treatment of the Indians by the Saldu was appalling. Early settlers had little respect for the Indians, forcing them to change their way of life, otherwise die. Sadly, Ishi spent most of his life hiding from the white man - staying downwind, living discreetly and quietly, staying off main trails and covering his tracks - living in fear of discovery. When the rest of his tribe was gone, Ishi's loneliness must have been unbearable. But Ishi was a wise man and a survivor, and he had learned that not all men were evil. His time at the Museum became acceptable - a time of plentiful food, of making friends - but more importantly a time to ensure that the history of his people would not die with him.After reading this book, it was disturbing to discover that Ishi's brain was retained by Berkeley and the Smithsonian Institute for study after his death. Although one might understand the scientific fascination with this last member of the Yahi, this action clearly violated Ishi's own cultural belief about keeping the body whole for cremation, and his personal beliefs should have been respected. It is not surprising that a debate over scientific rig

I've read this historical novel aloud to both "regular" fifth graders and to Special Education children. All of them have become entranced with Kroeber's wonderful descriptions of day-to-day Yahi life, and with Ishi's tragic story. The fact that Ishi was a real person made it even more tangible to them. This story is undoubtedly romanticized, but it describes life as it probably really was for a small surviving group of California Indians during the encroachment of the "Saldu" (foreigners). They try valiantly to retain the vestiges of their very complex culture, but tragedy inevitibly ensues. The majority of the book describes Ishi's life before he personally came in contact with the White people he has feared and from whom he has hidden during most of his life. It's difficult to find books that accurately describe Native American life pre-contact, in a way that is understandable to young children. I highly recommend this book, especially if you can tie in some of the recent controversy about Ishi's brain, which was removed from his body for study after his death (against his explicit wishes) and was only recently repatriated to Native California people. It's a great lead-in for a discussion about Native People's rights in modern America. Karen Garcia

I first decided to read this book because I was named after Ishi, and I wanted to find out why. When I finally read Kroeber's novel, I was struck with a mixed sense of pride at being able to identify with such an honest, spiritual, and kind-hearted man; disgust at how ignorantly and inexcusably the white man in power treated Ishi's people, and hence has continued to treat Native Americans throughout this country; and awe at the beauty and grace with which Kroeber writes. I am also a high school English teacher in a rural New England town. I teach this novel, and am continually struck by its ability to speak to teenagers who, for the most part, are not aware of this component of American history. Though the novel is partly fictional, as we cannot truly know, for instance, the conversations that Ishi had in the "watgurwa" with his elders as a teenage boy, Kroeber reveals to us a story based on very real, and very human, events. We read about the unwavering respect for the natural world that is so inherent in Yahi culture, and so lacking in modern American culture. We see Ishi's growth from a boy to a man as he takes on the important reponsibilities of feeding and protecting his family. We also watch as innocent Yahi are killed with the white man's "firesticks" so that their scalps can be cut off and exchanged for money. Every American citizen should know what happened to Ishi and his people; for it is American history at its best, and, unfortunately, at its worst.

I am ten years old. I had to do a book report on a book about California history. This was the perfect book. I like how every once in a while the author would put in a Yahi word and translate it in the back. I recommend this book to everyone.