The Last Yahi

Essay by ask1answer2Junior High, 8th gradeA, May 2004

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The Last Yahi

I would like to state that I found parts of this projects impractical, mainly the part about this essay to be written as a newspaper article, as if we were an early 1900s reporter. There were articles about Ishi, but they were not an accurate interpretations of him. They wrote to intrigue the reader not as much to inform. They also would not have told about how Ishi came to be alone and little about how the Yahi were killed, for their paper was written for American settlers that were the people that helped wipe out some native american tribes. Obviously an article about what the bad things American settlers did, their main readers, would not sell papers.

My first impression of Ishi was of a man that had gone through many hardships, but also strong, not just physically but also with in. Even after starvation, loneliness, losing many loved ones, and all of his people he was able to go on with life.

He still was able to find happiness in life and oddly he never showed much hatred towards Americans.

Ishi was the last of the Yahi. The Yahi, one of the sub-tribes of the Yana, lived in the hills of California for thousands of years with few troubles other than small quarrels with others tribes of the Yana. Then in 1849 the hills of California became flooded with settlers in search of gold. This set off bloody attacks on the tribes in mining areas. The Yahi suffered greatly. The small amount of Yahi left went in to hiding. They were not found for many years and soon they were thought to be wiped out. In 1908 there were only 4 Yahi left, Ishi, an old man, Ishi's mother, and...