The Plumas County Museum Association invites the public to the final fall presentation of its Find Out Friday lecture series. On Friday, Oct. 24, from 6 to 7 p.m., author and historian Richard Burrill will launch his latest book, “Ishi Is Given a Second Life,” at the Plumas County Library, 445 Jackson St. in Quincy.
Ishi, who emerged from the foothills near Oroville in 1911, was the last known member of the Yahi people. Having lived most of his life isolated from modern American culture, he was widely described as the “last wild Indian” in the United States.
The third and final volume in the Burrill’s in-depth trilogy examining Ishi’s time in San Francisco from 1911 to 1916, “Ishi Is Given a Second Life” explores Ishi’s life and activities during his twilight year of 1915 and his death in 1916.
A mere four years after being thrust into the “civilized” world of San Francisco in 1911, Ishi was diagnosed with latent tuberculosis in February 1915. After hospitalization and release, he spent the next seven months — his second life — actively participating in the San Francisco culture and society around him before his tuberculosis became virulent and contagious.
It was during this time that Ishi produced handcrafted Yahi projectile points, bows, arrows and other artifacts, took part in exhibitions and demonstrations of Yahi archery and traditional fire-making, met motion picture celebrities, made at least two visits to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and even attended a Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show.
It was also during this time that Ishi began living with Professor Thomas Waterman’s family in Berkeley and met linguist Edward Sapir, who worked with Ishi to record, salvage and preserve the Yahi language before Ishi’s tuberculosis worsened in summer 1915 and ultimately ended his life in March 1916.
“Ishi Is Given a Second Life” is the culmination of over 35 years of research and writing by lifelong educator, author and historian Richard Burrill. Relying on primary sources combined with careful scholarship to drive his narratives and stories, Burrill is known for his thorough investigation of the Ishi story and is considered the ultimate authority on the subject, say organizers. This volume not only brings the last chapter of Ishi’s life to a close but offers a hopeful look at his enduring legacy.
The Oct. 24 presentation is free, and all are welcome. Copies of “Ishi Is Given a Second Life,” as well as volumes 1 and 2 of the trilogy, are available for purchase at the Plumas County Museum and will be available at the event. More information is available from the museum at 530-283-6320.