April 30, 2011

100th anniversary of Ishi's emergence

Ishi events planned Friday, SaturdayThis year is the 100th anniversary of Ishi's emergence into the 20th century, and this week is the 10th annual Ishi Gathering and Seminar.

The Butte County Historical Society event is Friday and Saturday at a number of locations around Oroville. This year it has the theme "The Ishi Story: Myth and Meaning."

Activities begin with a panel discussion of researchers, historians and local American Indians 1-4 p.m. Friday at the Oroville Centennial Cultural Center, Arlin Rhine Drive.

They'll be discussing the different perspectives of the Ishi story, and how it continues to evolve.

Then from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Ehmann Home, 1480 Lincoln St., there'll be a reception with author Richard Burrill introducing his latest book, "Ishi's Untold Story in His First World: A Biography of one of the last Yahi Indians of North America."

Friday's events conclude with the showing of "Reel Injun," a movie on how the movie industry has portrayed American Indians for the past 100 years. That's 7-8:30 p.m. at the Ehmann Home.

Saturday a full day of activities called "A Walk in the Natives' Day" is planned, exploring local Native American culture in pre-contact California.
Comment:  For more on Ishi, see Ideas for Ishi Statue and Brian Wescott, Charlie Hill, and Ishi.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

To be honest, the case of Ishi, I mean, Kroeber was a liberal. And so Ishi was treated slightly better than Saartje Baartman. Namely, we didn't see Ishi paraded around naked with his genitalia emphasized, as much as the image of Ishi as a hunter and a warrior was.

That should summarize my view of anthropologists.

Rob said...

For more on the subject, see:

http://www.chicoer.com/fromthenewspaper/ci_17969018

Events in Oroville remember Ishi, last of the Yahi tribe

"People are taken by the story of his life because it's a way of recognizing the complete loss of a way of life by the complete rush of a different culture during the gold rush, she said. "His life is taking on mythical proportions. He was a hero of a human being, standing as a life to emulate."

The celebration is occurring all over Oroville this weekend, and included craft-making at the Historical Society Museum on Saturday. Activities included making flutes out of elderberry branches and necklaces from pine nuts, flintknapping and traditional archery lessons.