Gradually, these diverse languages, culture, and customs began to become eradicated. Although she does not use the term, the anthropologist paints a picture of White usurpation of Indian territory a kind of cultural genocide, whether intentional or not. Clearly, Theodora Kroeber's aim in recording her dealings with Ishi is an attempt upon her part to undo this legacy of 'her' people.
Kroeber charts the course of the Ishi eradication through the eradication of the Ishi language. She notes that of the six main language groups of North American Indians, five of these were represented in the vast and expansive Western territory of what is now the state of California. According to her estimates, these five language groups divided themselves into over one hundred distinct spoken languages, an extraordinary diversity of languages on one continent, languages and cultures that are now lost to us.
One extraordinary testimony to Kroeber's achievement as an anthropologist comes through when she notes how the Yahi language was bifurcated between a male and female dialect. Males and females used these dialects when they were in groups of their own sex. How was this possible, one might ask, in a relatively small tribal community? Ishi recounted how, when a male child reached the age of adulthood, he was removed from the bosom of his mother and the maternal sphere of the other women of the tribe, so as not to learn their language. Afterwards, he lived in almost an exclusively male world were he learned the male dialect and hunting skills. This makes Theodora's status as a female as well as an anthropologist particularly striking in her relation with Ishi, causing the reader to marvel how she was able to gain his trust.
Kroeber's goal in telling the story of Yahi's tribe was to preserve Ishi's culture...
Ishi's goal was to preserve his culture, despite its decimation, the culture that had shaped his life. She does not romanticize the divided, gendered nature of Yahi society, and shows a cool fascination with its multifaceted nature, as well as compassion for the man who taught her so much about yet. Yet the contrast between so-called civilized society and Indian life are not merely that of modernity vs. tradition.
As interesting as the book may be, certain inconsistencies and doubts remain in the reader's mind. For instance, it should be noted, however, as a caveat against this investiture of trust that Ishi was not the man's real name. He adopted this name after the death of his family as a pseudonym, a farewell to his old life. He was given a room at the anthropology museum and was made an assistant janitor to help cover his living expenses. Thus he was a ward of the department while he told his story, and was not entirely forthcoming with all of his personal facts with the anthropologists who were attempting to study him, raising questions about his honesty and reliability as a source.
Also, the way that Ishi was treated after his death raises some questions about the respect for Native culture, despite the anthropologist's protestations. After the native man's death the anthropologist couple of the Kroeber allowed the removal of his brain for study. This was in direct violation of his cultural beliefs about keeping the body whole for cremation as he expressly informed them regarding his people's cultural beliefs. The relationship between anthropological subject and anthropologist is thus very problematic in this case, but still the book remains a worthy read.
