Ishi was born circa 1861 in California however, there is no official documentation of his real date of birth. In 1865, his family was attacked in the Three Knolls Massacre killing almost most of the tribe.
For the next 44 years Ishi and his family hid in the California wilderness. During the California Gold Rush, all his family perished due to the miners bringing in new diseases such as smallpox and measles.
What you may not know about Ishi is that he was the last known member of the Yahi Indian tribe to survive. He emerged ear the present-day foothills of Lassen Peak. He spent the last 5 years of his life on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. He died in 1916 at the university. One of his bows, five arrows, a basket of acorn meal, a boxful of shell bead money, a purse full of tobacco, three rings are all that remain of Ishi. I looked but could not find where those artifacts are currently being stored. Until tomorrow keep a smile on your face.
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