Ishi's Brain: In Search of America's Last "wild" IndianCaptured in the hills of northern California in 1911, Ishi, the last stone-age Indian in North America, was brought to San Francisco by the famous anthropologist Alfred Kroeber, and became a living museum display until his death five years later. Ishi's Brain is a first-person account by anthropologist Orin Starn, who sought to unravel the mystery of Ishi's true nature and to locate his brain in the archives of the Smithsonian museum in the hope of finally repatriating Ishi's remains. The trail to Ishi's brain leads Starn through the painful history of the extermination of the Indians, the strange and sometimes scandalous history of anthropology, and the changing, mixed-up world of Native California today. This absorbing new portrait of Ishi, wild man of Deer Creek, museum curiosity, and last of his tribe, will appeal to anyone interested in Native America, a story of science and scandal, and the life and legend of California's most famous Indian. 15 illustrations. |
Contents
TRAILS TO ISHI | 11 |
A COMPROMISE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SENTIMENT | 23 |
THE WILD MAN OF DEER CREEK | 32 |
ISHI ALFRED AND THEODORA | 49 |
ISHIS ANCESTORS | 64 |
OROVILLE | 80 |
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE YAHI | 97 |
NICHE 6O1 | 118 |
THE MAIDU GO TO WASHINGTON | 187 |
LINES OF DESCENT | 200 |
ANCESTRAL GATHERINGS | 218 |
GRIZZLY BEARS HIDING PLACE | 231 |
THE SACRED FIRE | 249 |
DERSCH MEADOW | 267 |
VERAS PARTY | 287 |
NOTES | 305 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Aleš Hrdlička Alfred Kroeber anthropologists Anthropology Papers archaeologist Art Angle Art's autopsy Bancroft Library Batwi Bear's Hiding Place Berkeley Bidwell Boas body bones California Indian called camp canyon casinos Chico culture dead Deer Creek Department of Anthropology Edward Gifford father foothills Franz Boas Gemmill Gold Rush Grizzly Bear's Hiding Heizer and Kroeber hills History human hunting Indians of California Ishi the Last Ishi's brain Ishi's death Ishi's repatriation Ishi's story Ishi's Yahi Jeremiah Curtin Jim Johnston killed Killion knew Last Yahi later living Mickey Mill Creek Mount Lassen Nancy Rockafellar National Museum Native American Native California never newspaper Norick Oroville Pit River Tribe recalled Redding Rancheria Repatriation Office reported Rosalie Sacramento Valley Saxton Pope settlers Smithsonian sometimes surviving survivors Theodora Kroeber Thomas Waterman tion told Tom Killion traditional tribal trip U.C. San Francisco wanted Washington who'd wild Wintu woman wrote young