"Yahi" redirects here. For the tax collection supervisor, see Yahia Ben Yahi III.
The Yana are a group of Native Americans indigenous to Northern California in the central Sierra Nevada, on the western side of the range. Their lands, prior to encroachment by white settlers, bordered the Pit and Feather rivers. They were nearly destroyed during the California genocide in the latter half of the 19th century. The Central and Southern Yana continue to live in California as members of Redding Rancheria.[1]
The Yana-speaking people comprise four groups: the North Yana, the Central Yana, the Southern Yana, and the Yahi, of which two - the Central and Southern - remain. The noun stem Ya- means "person"; the noun suffix is -na in the northern Yana dialects and -hi [xi] in the southern dialects.
Anthropologist Alfred L. Kroeber put the 1770 population of the Yana at 1,500,[2] and Sherburne F. Cook estimated their numbers at 1,900 and 1,850.[3] Other estimates of the total Yana population before the Gold Rush exceed 3,000. They lived on wild game, salmon, fruit, acorns and roots.[4]
Their territory was approximately 2,400 square miles, or more than 6,000 km2, and contained mountain streams, gorges, boulder-strewn hills, and lush meadows. Each group had relatively distinct boundaries, dialects and customs.[5]
Yahi
The Yahi were the southernmost portion of the Yana.[6] They were hunter-gatherers who lived in small egalitarian bands without centralized political authority, and were reclusive and fiercely defended their territory of mountain canyons. The Yahi initially numbered around 400.[7]
The Yahi were the first Yana group to suffer from the Californian Gold Rush, for their lands were the closest to the gold fields.[6] They suffered great population losses from the loss of their traditional food supplies and fought with the settlers over territory. They lacked firearms, and armed white settlers intentionally committed genocide against them through multiple raids.[7] These raids took place as part of the California Genocide, during which the U.S. Army and vigilante militias carried out killings as well as the relocation of thousands of indigenous peoples in California.[8] Settlers were led by Robert Anderson, whose men launched two raids in 1865 which killed a total of about seventy people.[citation needed] The massacre reduced the Yahi, who were already suffering from starvation, to a population of less than 100.[6]
On August 6, 1865, seventeen settlers raided a Yahi village at dawn. In 1866, more Yahis were massacred when they were caught by surprise in a ravine. Around 1867, 33 Yahis were killed after being tracked to a cave north of Mill Creek. Finally, around 1871, four cowboys trapped and killed about 30 Yahis in Kingsley cave.[7]
The last known survivor of the Yahi was named Ishi by American anthropologists. Ishi had spent most of his life in hiding with his tribe members in the Sierra wilderness, emerging at the age of about 49, after the deaths of his mother and last relatives. He was the only Yahi known to Americans. Ishi emerged from the mountains near Oroville, California, on August 29, 1911, having lived his entire life outside of the American culture.[citation needed]
Professors from the University of California, Berkeley, read about him and brought him to San Francisco both for study and for his protection. Called the "last wild Indian", he had been treated as a curiosity by the public. Under the auspices of the anthropologist Alfred Kroeber, director of the Museum of Anthropology, Ishi lived there until his death from tuberculosis (then incurable) in 1916. His language was studied in 1911 by the linguistEdward Sapir, who had previously done work on the northern dialects.[citation needed]
By tribal custom, he was not to reveal his name to an enemy. Rather, one would be introduced by a friend, and then the name could be offered. Given that he was the last of his people, he had no friends, although he made some later at the University of California. Tradition demanded that he never speak his name. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley gave him the name Ishi, the Yana word for "man". He accepted this and adopted the term "Mr. Ishi" when he learned enough English. Ishi worked as a research assistant at the Museum of Anthropology. He taught Saxton Pope, a professor at the medical school and his physician, how to make arrows and bows, and to hunt with them. Pope is considered the "father" of modern bowhunting, as he published extensively on techniques.[citation needed]
^Robert K. Hitchcock, and Charles Flowerday. “Ishi and the California Indian Genocide as Developmental Mass Violence.” Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, no. 42, Department of Sociology, Humboldt State University, 2020, pp. 69–85.
References
Cook, Sherburne F. 1976a. The Conflict Between the California Indian and White Civilization. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Cook, Sherburne F. 1976b. The Population of the California Indians, 1769–1970. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Heizer, Robert F., and Theodora Kroeber (editors). 1979. Ishi the Last Yahi: A Documentary History. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Johnson, Jerald Jay. 1978. "Yana" in Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 8 (California), pp. 361–369. Robert F. Heizer, ed. (William C. Sturtevant, general ed.) Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN0-16-004578-9/ISBN0160045754.
Kroeber, A. L. 1925. Handbook of the Indians of California. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 78. Washington, D.C.
Sapir, Edward (1910). "Yana Texts", University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 1, no. 9. Berkeley: University Press.
Map: "Native Tribes, Groups, Language Families, and Dialects of California region in 1770", California Prehistory
January 20, 2023
yana, people, yahi, redirects, here, collection, supervisor, yahia, yahi, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sou. Yahi redirects here For the tax collection supervisor see Yahia Ben Yahi III This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Yana people news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Yana are a group of Native Americans indigenous to Northern California in the central Sierra Nevada on the western side of the range Their lands prior to encroachment by white settlers bordered the Pit and Feather rivers They were nearly destroyed during the California genocide in the latter half of the 19th century The Central and Southern Yana continue to live in California as members of Redding Rancheria 1 YanaRegions with significant populations CaliforniaLanguagesYana EnglishPre contact Yana territory Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Yahi 3 1 Ishi 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksEtymology EditThe Yana speaking people comprise four groups the North Yana the Central Yana the Southern Yana and the Yahi of which two the Central and Southern remain The noun stem Ya means person the noun suffix is na in the northern Yana dialects and hi xi in the southern dialects History EditFurther information Population of Native California Anthropologist Alfred L Kroeber put the 1770 population of the Yana at 1 500 2 and Sherburne F Cook estimated their numbers at 1 900 and 1 850 3 Other estimates of the total Yana population before the Gold Rush exceed 3 000 They lived on wild game salmon fruit acorns and roots 4 Their territory was approximately 2 400 square miles or more than 6 000 km2 and contained mountain streams gorges boulder strewn hills and lush meadows Each group had relatively distinct boundaries dialects and customs 5 Yahi EditThe Yahi were the southernmost portion of the Yana 6 They were hunter gatherers who lived in small egalitarian bands without centralized political authority and were reclusive and fiercely defended their territory of mountain canyons The Yahi initially numbered around 400 7 The Yahi were the first Yana group to suffer from the Californian Gold Rush for their lands were the closest to the gold fields 6 They suffered great population losses from the loss of their traditional food supplies and fought with the settlers over territory They lacked firearms and armed white settlers intentionally committed genocide against them through multiple raids 7 These raids took place as part of the California Genocide during which the U S Army and vigilante militias carried out killings as well as the relocation of thousands of indigenous peoples in California 8 Settlers were led by Robert Anderson whose men launched two raids in 1865 which killed a total of about seventy people citation needed The massacre reduced the Yahi who were already suffering from starvation to a population of less than 100 6 On August 6 1865 seventeen settlers raided a Yahi village at dawn In 1866 more Yahis were massacred when they were caught by surprise in a ravine Around 1867 33 Yahis were killed after being tracked to a cave north of Mill Creek Finally around 1871 four cowboys trapped and killed about 30 Yahis in Kingsley cave 7 Ishi Edit Main article Ishi Ishi the last known survivor of the Yahi The last known survivor of the Yahi was named Ishi by American anthropologists Ishi had spent most of his life in hiding with his tribe members in the Sierra wilderness emerging at the age of about 49 after the deaths of his mother and last relatives He was the only Yahi known to Americans Ishi emerged from the mountains near Oroville California on August 29 1911 having lived his entire life outside of the American culture citation needed Professors from the University of California Berkeley read about him and brought him to San Francisco both for study and for his protection Called the last wild Indian he had been treated as a curiosity by the public Under the auspices of the anthropologist Alfred Kroeber director of the Museum of Anthropology Ishi lived there until his death from tuberculosis then incurable in 1916 His language was studied in 1911 by the linguist Edward Sapir who had previously done work on the northern dialects citation needed By tribal custom he was not to reveal his name to an enemy Rather one would be introduced by a friend and then the name could be offered Given that he was the last of his people he had no friends although he made some later at the University of California Tradition demanded that he never speak his name Researchers at the University of California Berkeley gave him the name Ishi the Yana word for man He accepted this and adopted the term Mr Ishi when he learned enough English Ishi worked as a research assistant at the Museum of Anthropology He taught Saxton Pope a professor at the medical school and his physician how to make arrows and bows and to hunt with them Pope is considered the father of modern bowhunting as he published extensively on techniques citation needed See also EditYana language Yana traditional narratives Indigenous peoples of CaliforniaNotes Edit Redding Rancheria 2013 With the Strength of Our Ancestors film United States Retrieved 2013 09 27 Kroeber p 883 Cook 1976a 177 1976b 16 Pritzker Barry M 2000 A Native American Encyclopedia History Culture and Peoples p 156 Oxford University Press Ishi s Hiding Place Butte County A History of American Indians in California HISTORIC SITES National Park Service 2004 accessed 5 Nov 2010 a b c We Are California The Yana Yahi People California Humanities Retrieved November 16 2014 a b c Diamond Jared 1997 Guns Germs and Steel New York W W Norton amp Company p 374 ISBN 0 393 31755 2 Robert K Hitchcock and Charles Flowerday Ishi and the California Indian Genocide as Developmental Mass Violence Humboldt Journal of Social Relations no 42 Department of Sociology Humboldt State University 2020 pp 69 85 References EditCook Sherburne F 1976a The Conflict Between the California Indian and White Civilization University of California Press Berkeley Cook Sherburne F 1976b The Population of the California Indians 1769 1970 University of California Press Berkeley Heizer Robert F and Theodora Kroeber editors 1979 Ishi the Last Yahi A Documentary History University of California Press Berkeley Johnson Jerald Jay 1978 Yana in Handbook of North American Indians vol 8 California pp 361 369 Robert F Heizer ed William C Sturtevant general ed Washington D C Smithsonian Institution ISBN 0 16 004578 9 ISBN 0160045754 Kroeber A L 1925 Handbook of the Indians of California Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No 78 Washington D C Kroeber Theodora 1961 Ishi in Two Worlds A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America University of California Press Berkeley Sapir Edward 1910 Yana Texts University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology vol 1 no 9 Berkeley University Press External links EditIshi The Last Yahi 1992 documentary IMDB 1 Overland Monthly Journal 1875 online at University of Michigan Map Native Tribes Groups Language Families and Dialects of California region in 1770 California Prehistory Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yana people amp oldid 1133465621 Yahi, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
