Synopsis:
"Ishi certainly is a remarkable individual. His will to live, not simply
exist, but attempt to live happily is an inspiration to the human
community. We would do well to examine a culture that produced such a
person." — Brian Bibby
"Ishi: The Last Yahi" chronicles the
unforgettable story of Ishi, the last survivor of the Yahi tribe
following extensive massacres of Native Americans in California in the
1860's and 1870's. Ishi and a handful of his tribe refused to surrender,
choosing instead to live in hiding. After 40 years and the death of all
the others, one day in 1911 Ishi, alone and near starvation, walked out
of the wilderness and in the white man's world.
Newspapers
labelled him "the last wild Indian" or "the last Stone Age man in North
America." To the public he was an exotic curiosity, but for young
anthropologist Alfred Kroeber, Ishi's appearance was a scientific
windfall. Kroeber had been searching for years to find "wild
uncontaminated Indians" who could document aboriginal life in America.
Through Kroeber's invitation, Ishi left a jail cell and lived out the
remaining four years of his life at the Museum of Anthropology in San
Francisco, relating Yahi stories and demonstrating the traditional way
of life he knew so well. His quiet dignity and extraordinary lack of
bitterness towards the people who had destroyed his tribe greatly
impressed everyone who met him.
"Ishi: The Last Yahi" skillfully
blends haunting photographs, archival film footage, recordings Kroeber
made of Ishi's voice, and illuminating commentary by authorities on
Native American cultures. More than an indictment of the "manifest
destiny" white settlers used as an excuse to annihilate Native
Americans, the message of this deeply moving film is one of resilience
of the human spirit. Ishi survived the murder of his people, the loss of
his way of life, the 40-year isolation, and yet somehow came out whole,
psychologically and physically, as he entered the society of those who
had destroyed his people.
Narrated by LINDA HUNT
Written by ANNE MAKEPEACE
Editor JENNIFER CHINLUND
Original Music MARK ADLER
Additional Music TODD BOEKELHIEDE
Director of Photography STEPHEN LIGHTHILL
Director: Jed Riffe and Pamela Roberts
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