Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: palo verde
Palo, you are thinking of 'Ishi', I think...he was a Native American, who along with a few other members of his tribe, resisted being put on reservations, and he and I think his mother and sister, and maybe one or two other tribe members struck out on their own, trying to make it in the wilderness during the 1920s I think....it was a difficult trek, and eventually all the other tribe members died, and Ishi was left alone...he was scared and hungry and thirsty and wandered into some town, and the local people did not know what to make of him...

So they locked him up in their jail, and because he looked to strange to them, they called to the University of California, at Berkley, and they sent down an anthropologist to have a look at this man...he took the man back with him to the university to study....The anthropologist got the museum and university to allow lodgings for Ishi...he lived either in the museum or in the library, at least somewhere at the university....

Ishi eventually learned English, and he enable the anthropologists to make a record of his own native tongue...he became quite well known during this time, and many different famous people came to visit him...

Eventually he died, when I think he was either in his late 40s or early 50s, I think...I think he died either of TB, or pneumonia, something for which he, being a Native american, had no natural immunity...

They made a movie out of the book written by the anthropologist, who was played by John Voight...Ishi was played by an actor name Graham Greene, the anthropologists wife was played by Ann Archer, and a physician who became interested in Ishi, was play by David Ogden Steirs of 'Mash' fame...I believe the movie was based on the book written by the anthropologist...I think his name was Dr. Kroeber, tho I could be mistaken about that...I was a fascinating story to me...

59 posted on 01/30/2002 7:25:08 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies ]


To: andysandmikesmom
The year was 1911.
61 posted on 01/30/2002 8:02:29 PM PST by Age of Reason
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies ]

To: andysandmikesmom
Hi Lynn
you are the most amazing gal on God's green earth
yes Ishi is the name of the man
I read the book 'bout him
everything you said is true
you have won a basset hound calendar
it is on its way to you now
Love xxx, Palo
62 posted on 01/31/2002 6:52:27 AM PST by palo verde
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies ]

To: andysandmikesmom
" think...I think he died either of TB, or pneumonia,"

He died of TB. One of the things I found particularly moving about Ishi's story was that he harbored no ill will toward those who massacred his family. It was like he had a spiritual depth to him that allowed him to forgive on a level that most cannot.

674 posted on 02/10/2002 10:19:04 AM PST by sweetliberty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson