Ishi, the Last of His Tribe

Rating:
Summary: ISHI, Last of His Tribe
Review: 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 rights and human rights resulted, and it was nearly 100 years before Ishi's brain was returned to the Indian people, affording him the final peace and dignity that he rightfully deserved.
I have been enriched by the story of Ishi. It is a story I hope
future generations will utilize for studying the life of the California Indian. Ishi's story provides not only his language and culture, but his insight, feelings and experiences. This unique chance to share such a special part of California's past might otherwise have been lost, and I am grateful to those who had the insight to preserve this important piece of history.
`aiku tsub - " it is good "

Rating:
Summary: ISHI, Last of His Tribe
Review: 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 rights and human rights resulted, and it was nearly 100 years before Ishi's brain was returned to the Indian people, affording him the final peace and dignity that he rightfully deserved.
I have been enriched by the story of Ishi. It is a story I hope
future generations will utilize for studying the life of the California Indian. Ishi's story provides not only his language and culture, but his insight, feelings and experiences. This unique chance to share such a special part of California's past might otherwise have been lost, and I am grateful to those who had the insight to preserve this important piece of history.
'aiku tsub - " it is good "

Rating:
Summary: Ishi: Touching Story of Cruelty to Native American
Review: The book, Ishi: Last of His Tribe, by Theodora Kroebar is a well written book, which deeply describes the life of a Yana Indian. The Yana are one of the last Native America Indian Tribes left in America. She uses great adjectives and indian words to help the readers understand. People who are intrigued by Native Americans, wars, teenage lives, and the true cruelty of human beings will be interested in reading Ishi. Ishi is a young Yana indian boy, on the verge of manhood, getting ready for the responsibilities of having to feed and fend for his family who have supported Ishi his whole life, and have a family of his own. A group of white poeple come to the lands of the Yana and try to capture the land that has belonged to Yana tribes for centuries. The white poeple slaughter the Yana tribes unmercifully, and take the land for themselves. Ishi has to watch the people he has grown up with his whole existance and the ways of his people be demolished, and he is left alone in the world. Ishi teaches people who read it a part of American history which is normally not talked about or read about. The book uses the non-fiction happenings of the Yana and adds fictional situations and turns Ishi into a beautiful story of hate and overcoming obstacles. As I read the book, I felt mixed emotions. I felt proud at being able to identify with Ishi. Ishi was the last of his people, he really did not have much to life for, and no one was left that he could relate to. Everyone feels alone and outcast at some point in their lives, and this book helps people understand and relate to Ishi and how he feels. He was a truthful, deep, spititual person and he was plucked from his life and tossed into a world which was strange and new to him. If any of the readers have ever had to move from one town to another, they know what Ishi is feeling. I also felt hatered towards how the white men ignorantly destroyed this peaceful tribe's way of life without even feeling remorse for their actions. It is horrible how the just slaughtered the tribe, with 'fire sticks' and scalped the Yana for money. It is repulsing how the white men treated the Yana and all the Native Americans, who were on this continent before us and had been living respectably and peacefully, and had such a deep understanding of the land and how to treat it and use it wisely. Ishi was easy to comprehend, with the wordings of Theodora Kroeber. Everyone in America should know about what happened to the innocent Yana tribes and the innocent Yana people, such as Ishi, and see American history for what it really is, and what it really was and what the invading, torturous, white man and his government did to begin the longest war in history (500 years) against the peaceful, loving, spiritual NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN.

Rating:
Summary: People hatin on N8ives...
Review: This book by Theodora Kroebar describes how the life is for a Yana Indian(or any type of Indian). In the book, the Yana are on of the last N8ive tribes left in the U.S. Some lady finds Ishi talkin to his self in his own language. So she teaches him to talk English. In the book, the white people hate on the N8ives and kill them and take their land.

Rating:
Summary: Ishi Last of his Tribe
Review: This book is about the Yahi, an American Indian Tribe who lived peacefully in California for hundreds of years. One day an army of white men came and wiped out almost everyone in the Yahi tribe. Only a few Yahi escaped into the forest where they hid themselves. One Native American named Ishi was among them. After days the survivors of the Yahi started dying and at last Ishi was left alone to survive by himself. He grew up. A white lady found him and she took him back to her town to teach him how to speak English. Ishi told lots of facts about his people.
I choose this book because I had to read a non-fiction book for my class. I look Ed in my study guide to find a non-fiction book and I saw this title. I went to the library to find this book and I looked at the cover. It was interesting so I picked it.
My favorite part was when the white army fought the Yahi tribe. Though it was bloody and it showed the Yahi Native Americans getting killed it had lots of details like the Yahi using bows and arrows and the white using guns. It showed how Ishi and some other Yahi escaping from their village.

Rating:
Summary: well written, but...
Review: this story is basicly about how Ishi's tribeis killed, then a lady comes and finds an indian mumbling about, (Ishi), and she takes him back and teaches him English. The book has Ishi portreyed as a magestic indian, last of his tribe. Really, before the lady ound him, he was an rather stupid indian in moldy clothes lving off roots. Not the greatest indian story around. If you want a great indian story, try "Troubles Daughter".

Rating:
Summary: appeals to the inside track
Review: when i first read this book, it made sense to me in a general kind of way, meaning that i knew what was going on and most of the time who it was happening to. but i was constantly plagued by the feeling that i was missing key parts. IT was the reader's avoidance of using white man's words that proved to be the catalyst. especially in the forth section when ishi is in San Francisco, Kroeber uses the descriptions of the people in ishi's life as ishi would have seen them, avoiding given names. i ultimately had to write a summary on this book so you can imagine how difficult such brevity made that. it wasn't until i had the good fortune of stumbling across a program on ishi featured on a&e that all the missing pieces started to come together. ishi's story was explained to me in a factual way that was both interesting and clear, including the fact that the curator of the museum is none other than kroeber's husband. after watching this i re-read the book, found it to be quite stimulating and then realized how easy it was now that i had the real life information, something i'm sure the average reader will not. that is why i say that it appeals to the inside track, people with a distinct curiosity and knowledge in the subject. for the average reader this book should still be good, despite the lack of fact, but the knowledge isn't that hard to find; i found it on a&e.