Filmmakers Chris Eyre and Roberta Grossman's documentary focuses on efforts to bring closure to one of the most tragic stories of the early 20th century. Ishi was the last surviving member of the Yahi Indian tribe in California, which was eradicated in the years following the 1848 Gold Rush (the film uses the word "holocaust" to describe the fate of the tribe). Ishi survived alone in the California woods until 1911, when he emerged in near-starvation and was arrested for trying to steal food from a small village. The news of a "wild man" Indian about 50 years old who had no previous contact with white society became a national sensation, and Ishi was given residence as a living exhibit at a California museum until his death in 1916. Following his passing, his body was cremated but his brain was preserved and sent for storage to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It wasn't until 2000 that descendants of the Redding Rancheria and Pit River tribes were able to recover Ishi's brain from the Smithsonian in order to give him a complete burial in accordance with native traditions. Featuring rare photographs of Ishi during his final years, this fine documentary shines a spotlight on a shamefully overlooked chapter of U.S. history. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Ishi's Return
(2016) 27 min., DVD: $85: public libraries & high schools, $250: colleges & universities. Katahdin Productions. PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-0-692-94509-4. Volume 33, Issue 2
Ishi's Return
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