Ishi, the “last wild Indian” was discovered starving outside of a slaughterhouse near Oroville California in 1911. He spent almost 5 years as a companion to Dr. Saxton Pope, one of the founders of the Pope and Young Club, a conservation group dedicated to preserving the legacy of bowhunting and archery. In the book, Ishi the last Yahi, Robert Heizer and Theodora Kroeber have collected and edited a number of historic documents surrounding the life of this mysterious man and his people. Of special interest to the Western hunter is the discussion by Saxton Pope from 1918 on the archery methods used by Ishi to take game. Many of Pope’s archery materials and methods arose from his time with Ishi.
An excerpt from Pope’s “Yahi Archery”
- “At a very early period in our association with the Yahi, we undertook various little hunting excursions, and upon two occasions went upon extended trips into the mountains
In shooting small game, such as quail, squirrels, and rabbits, Ishi was very proficient. His method was that of still hunting; walking over the ground very quiet and alert, always paying particular attention to wind, noise, and cover. He was indefatigable in the persistence with which he stalked game, and seldom left a clump of brush in which he knew or suspected the presence of game, until all means of getting it had been tried….
He shot rabbits as close as five yards. On the other hand I have seen him shoot a squirrel through the head at forty yards. The usual killing distance was between 10 and 20 yards. Game was nearly always shot while standing still, although an occasional rabbit was shot running.”
The book features a wide range of observations by a variety of authors both on the anthropological history of the Yahi and Yana peoples, and of the media coverage of his discovery. When Ishi died in 1916 of tuberculosis, Pope wrote an account of the medical care, and autopsy. That detailed account is edited to only include Pope’s observations on the characteristics, and personality of Ishi, released in 1920.
For the reader who appreciates the history of the West, it’s indigenous people and the evolution of our archery methods, Ishi The Last Yahi is a detailed look into what was the last link between the stone age and modern age. The respect by the authors cited in the book is apparent, and the reader will gain a sense of wonder through the words and pictures that chronicle the life of Ishi.
The 242 page book, Ishi Last of the Yahi is published by the University of California Press and is available in soft cover.
Related Posts
No related posts.
