Ishi, the Last Yahi (1992)

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In 1911, an Indian wandered out of the hills of Northern California, unable to speak a word of English, and clad in the ancient manner. His discoverers, who found him hiding in a barn, didn't know what to make of him and sent him to San Francisco to be studied like some rare animal by the young… More In 1911, an Indian wandered out of the hills of Northern California, unable to speak a word of English, and clad in the ancient manner. His discoverers, who found him hiding in a barn, didn't know what to make of him and sent him to San Francisco to be studied like some rare animal by the young anthropologist Alfred Kroeber. It turned out that he was Ishi, the last surviving member of his Yahi tribe. He was such an unusual figure in San Francisco that he became quite a celebrity. This documentary includes rare film footage of this unique survivor, along with photographs and journal and newspaper coverage from the time in an attempt to tell his story. Some of the same territory is covered in a 1978 made-for-television biographical film, bearing the very similar title of Ishi: The Last of His Tribe. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi