Ishi's story is a fascinating and controversial one. To some he embodies the tragic effects of Euro-American culture on the lives and cultures of Native Americans. Others question the motives of the scientists who befriended him. But there can be no question that the information he left us is invaluable. Ishi was a Yahi Indian, the last of his tribe, who once populated north-central California. The Yahi were members of the Yana nation. The gold rush of 1849 flooded California with Europeans. There was no place in 'white' California for the natives and they were killed or driven from their homelands. Ishi and a handful of his relatives spent their life hiding in the foothills of Mount Lassen. Over the years these people were killed or passed away, until Ishi was the only one remaining. .
The beginning of the book takes place when Ishi is a young man growing up. We see how he becomes a hunter, or "wanasi." The story is told from Ishi's point of view, so we get a lot on insight as to what he is thinking about during his exploits. We also learn about Ishi's family and how they all lived together. Unfortunately we also see how white people encroached on these people's land in search of gold. Ishi tells us about how these white people, or "saldu," murder other Indians in his tribe. These parts are where the story becomes sad because one by one, Ishi's family and tribe are killed off until he is the last one left. It is his job to bury he people and this had to have been tough for him.
Alone and driven by hunger, in 1911 Ishi approached the Northern California town of Oroville. Here he was 'discovered' by the white men at a slaughterhouse. Attitudes had changed since the gold rush of the late 1800's so his life was spared. However, nobody really knew what to do with him, so they took him to the town jail to stay. He was not actually imprisoned, but was kept there safe from the throngs of onlookers who came to see the "savage wild man".
