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TODAY IN ADVENTURE |
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Ishi Walks Into Civilization |
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On August 29th (that's today!), 1911, Ishi, the last surviving member of the Yahi Indians in northern California, walked out of the woods and into civilization. He was nearly 50 years old and had lived his entire life in the wilderness foothills surrounding Mt. Lassen. When Ishi walked into the town of Oroville, it was his first contact with European descendants. Citizens called the police on the "wild man" wearing buckskins and carrying a bow and arrow. The Sheriff took Ishi into custody. He spoke no English, and over the next few years, he worked with anthropologists to reveal to them the extinct language and customs of the Yahi people. He also grew fond of riding the trolley cars in downtown San Francisco. |
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