The Last of His Tribe (1992) Movie Script
[dog barks]
The slaughterhouse.
Hey!
I tell you what.
Well call that dog off
if you keep your seat.
Hog-tie him.
Come on.
Easy, Rudy.
I thought you was
one of them sasquatches.
What do you want? Food?
Que quieres?
Any language
you do speak, digger?
Dont scare him
any more, Eddie.
Poor creature's
done in.
(EDDIE) God almighty, Bob,
it's a wild Indian.
Big discovery like this,
I'm surprised your Dr. Kroeber
didn't come himself.
He wanted to.
I'm afraid his wife is ill.
I can assure you Dr. Kroeber
is vitally interested.
Well, he ought to be.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
You don't find a fellow
like this too often anymore.
I finally told all
of the reporters to clear out.
Figured the Indian could use
a little breathing room.
Yes, thank you.
He ain't dangerous,
just kind of silent.
Yes, thank you
very much.
He likes donuts.
Yes, thank you.
Well, let's--
let's find out who you are.
Shall we?
Maidu.
Mutuma? Mutuma?
Is that word
familiar?
How would you
like a candy?
Go ahead.
Eat.
No.
You see, you take
the paper off first,
like so.
Its better,
isn't it?
Um, let's see.
Um, well,
you're not Maidu.
Youre not Miwok.
Youre not Pomo.
Youre not
Chimariko.
Are you aware of the fact that
you're none of these things?
No.
Dilimi.
Sivini.
-Sivini.
-Yes?
Sivini Wood?
-Sivini.
-Sivini.
Yes. Sivini.
That can't be.
-Youre a Yahi?
-Yahi.
Yahi.
But there are no Yahi.
The Yahi are extinct.
[speaking Yahi]
[band playing
camptown racetrack]
? ?
[bell rings]
Excuse me.
(WOMAN) Excuse me, sir? Sshh.
The women of the Oroville
Monday Club
wish to present you, sir,
with this luncheon basket
for your journey
to San Francisco.
And knowing of your life
as a free-ranging man
of nature,
we offer our fondest hopes
that our civilization
will not disappoint you.
Ma'am, thank you.
(WOMAN)
Professor, he's here.
He won't much care to shake hands.
Remember not to stare at him.
Hell take offense at that. Nothing
wrong with a friendly smile, however.
-Whats this?
-Thats punch and cookies.
I thought we should have
something for him, something--
You're right, of course.
Should have thought of it myself.
Its an historic moment,
Mrs. Gustafson.
Were about to meet the last truly
primitive man in our continent
and offer him
punch and cookies.
Well, well.
Look at this.
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
-I don't know what that is.
-He asked if I'm a chief.
Well, I suppose
you are.
-Well, I suppose I am.
-Big Chief, we call him.
Chiep.
-Oh, ah.
-That is quite clever.
I can't wait for you
to really hear him speak.
Phonetically, he has
some of the prettiest
cracked consonants
I've heard in my life.
(KROEBER)
I'll bet.
I believe he likes your button,
Mrs. Gustafson.
Oh, you
like this.
(KROEBER) No doubt he's marveling
at the perfection of its shape,
the brilliance
of its color.
Please.
[speaking Yahi]
Mm, it is good. Very good.
Does he have
a name?
(KROEBER) Yes, but it would be
the height of rudeness to ask.
Names are very
private with them.
(GUSTAFSON) And are we to call him
anything at all?
(KROEBER) Well, Ishi.
In his language, it means man.
Something of that sort
might do.
Man--that sounds
rather impersonal.
(KROEBER)
Ishi.
Shall we call you Ishi?
[speaking Yahi]
Well, that settles that.
Shall we show him to his room?
Here we are.
Come, come.
Come.
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
What was that?
He finds it's curious that
our houses have no smoke holes.
[loud shuffling]
[speaking Yahi]
For the daylight.
Well, it, um--
Yes, um, it's late.
[speaking Yahi]
Heres your bed.
Its for sleeping.
[speaking Yahi]
Bed.
Bed.
That is very good.
Okay, you get some sleep.
And we'll see each other
in the morning.
Well, he's full of curiosity--
but about the strangest things.
An aeroplane, for instance,
he regards it as the most
natural thing in the world.
On the other hand,
he's fascinated with doorknobs.
-Arent you going to eat?
-Soon.
You know what
the doctor says.
-Take a look.
-Whats this?
Its for you.
Its an adirondack chair,
the kind you liked so much
at the sanatorium.
See how the back reclines?
And it also has an adjustable foot rest.
This won't help, Alfred.
Well, in any case,
I've ordered it.
It should be here
in a week or so.
So tell me more
about your Mr. Ishi.
-What will you do with him?
-Legally, I suppose, he'll be our ward.
Surely there are other Indians
who can look after him.
No other Yahi,
darling, not a single one.
And that's why
he's such a prize.
You make him sound like just another
artifact for your museum.
Hes much more valuable than that.
I can assure you.
And I'm the only person
who can understand him.
Without me, everything these
people were--their language,
their stories, art, religion--
would be forgotten.
I'm going to write a book.
Alfred.
(KROEBER)
What?
-What is it?
-I don't know.
I was just wondering.
Maybe there's some things
that should be forgotten,
things we aren't
worthy to know.
Well, you've just dispensed
with the entire field of anthropology.
[laughs]
I have to go.
Were introducing him
to the press this morning.
Bring him
to dinner.
To dinner?
On a day when I feel well.
Well have him over.
He won't wear shoes, you know.
As long as he's a gentleman.
Well, he seems to be that.
(KROEBER) Yes, we suspect he's been
living alone for years.
(MAN)
Whys his hair so short?
(KROEBER) Hes in mourning.
They do that.
-They singe their hair.
-Who died?
Everybody
he ever knew.
Professor Kroeber,
according to your own writings,
there hasn't been a Yahi sighted
for 20 years.
Whats he been
doing all this time?
I don't know.
He hasn't volunteered
that information, gentlemen.
-Yes, but have you asked him?
-Not yet.
I want him to feel settled first.
As you can imagine,
he finds our world
to be a very confusing
and disorienting place.
(MAN) Gentlemen,
over here.
Shoot straight,
Mr. Ishi.
-Good shot!
-[applause]
(KROEBER)
Hold on to your hats, gentlemen.
I think we have
a little photograph to be taken.
You say he's been
on a train
and ridden in a car.
Which of our marvels
has impressed him most?
The window shade.
I hear a lot of people have
been dropping by to see you.
Seems to be
some interest.
Well, he certainly put
your museum on the map.
(KROEBER) Mr. Whitney is from the
department of the interior.
(MR. WHITNEY) The Bureau
of Indian Affairs, to be precise.
Wild Indian division.
Theres a wild
Indian division?
There are
no more wild Indians.
Thats why it's
being phased out.
So what's to be
done with him?
Hell stay here
with us, of course.
Well, my job is
to make him happy.
Pardon me, Mr. Whitney, but that
sounds just like our government.
We do everything we can
to eliminate these people
from the face of the earth.
And then when one manages to survive,
we send someone around
to make sure he's happy?
Tom.
Wed like to send him
to Oklahoma.
I'm sorry,
Oklahoma?
-Tom.
-To one of the reservations.
That way, at least, he would
be around other Indians,
and he would live under
the care and at the expense
of the United States
Government.
We feel that would be
the best thing for him.
I speak six Indian languages,
Mr. Whitney.
Except for Ishi himself,
I may be the only person
in the world with a functional
grasp of the Yahi dialect.
I'm in the middle of composing
a definitive survey of the Indians
of Northern California. So you'll excuse
me if I also lay a claim
to knowing
what's best for Ishi.
I know this man
as well as anyone can.
And it is not
in his best interest
to be dumped
onto some wretched reservation.
Well, at some point, he is going to have
to learn to look after himself.
(KROEBER)
I've seen to that.
I've hired him.
Youve what?
(KROEBER) Hes on the payroll
as a museum helper,
salary of $10 a week.
I see.
Well, would you translate
this to him, please?
Would you tell him that,
if he wishes,
he is free to return
to his homeland on Deer Creek?
Ishim,
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
"I wish to stay where I am now,"
he says.
[speaking Yahi]
"I will grow old
in this place,
and it is here
I will die."
Is that an accurate translation,
Professor?
Are you accusing me of
embellIshing this man's speech?
-Not at all.
-I've seen your reservations,
how much the government cares
about these people,
and I won't let you
have him, Mr. Whitney.
And now, if you'll excuse me,
I have much to do.
Good day.
Good-bye, Ishi.
I hope our Dr. Kroeber is worthy
of the trust
you place in him.
Thats just my point, Tom.
Everything is anthropology.
I'll give you an example:
women's fashion.
It seems whimsical enough,
all these fluctuations--
skirt length, waist width,
plunging and rising necklines.
But plot it on a graph,
and what do you find?
Fashion will be
at its most haywire
immediately preceding
and following
periods of war and revolution.
The graver the crisis,
the greater the dcolletage.
Who else but an anthropologist
would even think to ponder
-such a question?
-More to the point,
-who else but Alfred Kroeber?
-[laughs]
Careful, dear.
Gravy, Mr. Ishi?
Uh, Ishi doesn't really
care for gravy, dear.
-Oh.
-(KROEBER) No, I'm afraid that he
is very particular
about his liquids, Mrs. Kroeber.
You see, he prefers
them transparent.
He won't touch coffee
nor root beer.
So he's come into civilization
full of opinions.
(KROEBER)
So it seems.
Well.
He reminds me of how you were
among the Arapaho,
trying so hard
to make a good impression.
[coughing]
Please forgive me, Tom.
Alfred is used to my outbursts,
but I think I've taken
you and Mr. Ishi unawares.
(WATERMAN)
Oh, no, ma'am, I just would hate
to think that you've tired
yourself out on our account.
I wonder if he would tell us
how he came to be alone.
I don't think that's
a very wise question, darling.
Why not? I don't think he's as fragile
as you suspect, Alfred.
I think he may
want to tell us.
-Wont you ask him?
-(KROEBER) Yes, of course.
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
(KROEBER) He says that
the Saldu, white man,
first came to Yahi lands
before he was born.
There was always trouble
between the Yahi and the Saldu.
He remembers it
when he was very young
that the world of the Yahi
seemed unchangeable to him.
[speaking Yahi]
(KROEBER) As permanent
as the sacred mountain or the Nopa.
Every summer,
the Yahi lived in its shadow.
And in the cold, winter months,
they moved down to the lowlands.
His strongest early memory
is of a bear
that his father
and his uncle killed.
They skinned it where it fell,
hauled the meat back to the camp,
and they buried
the carcass there.
-And called the spot--
-[Ishi speaking Yahi]
(KROEBER)
The bear's hiding place.
[speaking Yahi]
He remembers the day
the Saldu killed his father.
[shouting]
[gunshots]
[screams]
[sobbing]
(KROEBER) That evening, those that were
left burned the bodies and sang
to help their
friends find the way
to the trail
of the dead.
Thats enough
for tonight.
But he's not finished.
Let him go on with it.
(KROEBER) Henriette, I think
I know best in this instance.
Thats enough for tonight.
Yahi.
Yes, it is.
Ishi, you know--
Good night, Ishi.
Good night, Chief.
What did he mean,
the trail of the dead?
(KROEBER)
Thats their view of the afterlife.
The trail of the dead leads
to the land of the ancestors.
When you die, you walk along
the trail for a long way
until at last you come
to your own lodge
where your family
is gathered around the fire pit
waiting for you.
Do you believe in that?
The trail of the dead?
Well, not that.
Something--heaven, I suppose?
Well, I don't think
our view of the afterlife
is any more valid than theirs.
I didn't ask you if it was valid.
I asked you if you believed in it.
I shouldn't have had him over.
-Why?
-Hes upset you.
He hasn't upset me.
Its you who can't stand
to know the truth about things.
The very point in my profession
Is to search for the truth,
Henriette.
Yes, yes, yes, of course, the science
of man and his works.
Youre afraid of him,
I think.
Afraid?
Yes, to truly hear
what he told you.
You would rather
plot him on a graph
like your skirt lengths.
One thing about facing death,
I'm not afraid to let anything
into my heart anymore.
I won't stand
for that attitude.
-Youre not facing death.
-Yes, I am.
Its just that you
won't see it.
And that makes me
terribly lonely.
You know what I worry about?
That when I die,
you'll hold it against me.
Damn it, you're not going to
die; you're going to get well.
Yes, of course, well,
that's what we'll believe.
Its as if you took some sort of
pleasure in talking about it.
No, but I do take comfort
in facing it.
And it would mean
so much to me if I just--
What?
If I just knew that you would
stand by me in this,
that you wouldn't hide from me
when I need you so desperately.
But you must remember,
it is you who brought Ishi here,
and you can't hide from him.
That man's soul is
in your hands, Alfred.
-In English.
-Horse.
Horse.
Forward with the tongue. Ss.
-Hor-sssse.
-Very good.
-And this one?
-Saldu.
Yes, but what
is the Saldu doing?
Hes sleeping.
[speaking Yahi]
-Sleep.
-Sleep.
The picture doesn't tell us
what he's dreaming.
[speaking Yahi]
Yes, many soldiers.
Yes, yes.
Many medical people.
[knocks]
Here we go.
How are they treating you over
there at the museum, hmm, Ishi?
Feeding you plenty of good
acorn mush, are they?
You and I have a great,
great deal to talk about.
I have a pronounced
interest in archery,
and I understand from
Dr. Kroeber that in that field,
you are something
of a virtuoso.
Fine, strong skull.
Handsome set
of choppers.
No indication of tooth
decay or pyuria.
Hearts as sound
as a hide drum.
Interesting odor.
Its faintly
musty, like,
like tanned deerskin.
How did Henriette do
over the weekend?
Well, she's holding up.
Shes holding up.
If you like, I'll come by
tomorrow and visit with her.
I'd appreciate that.
I know she would too.
Easily done.
Ishi, we will
go unloose some arrows
one day soon, hmm?
Although I'm afraid you will
find that among us white devils,
archery is something
of a lost art.
You are probably the only human
being left on the continent
for whom archery
is more than just a hobby.
Perhaps you'll show us
your old haunts one day.
Oh, wouldn't that be splendid?
Visiting the wilderness in
the company of an expert guide?
-What do you say to that, Kroeber?
Well,
-I'm afraid Ishi doesn't care to return.
-What a pity.
That is a beautiful example
of what the human foot should be.
Look at those toes.
Theyre graceful,
unspoiled--
the longitudinal arch
is so well-preserved
it brings a tear to my eye.
If only you and I
had feet like that, Kroeber.
Have you ever seen
an appendectomy?
There we are,
Dr. Ishi--
the vermiform
appendix.
Obnoxious little thing.
Its quite useless, but it
is potentially quite deadly.
Clamp, please, Agnes.
There we are.
Oh, I suppose it served
some sort of function
for our primitive
forbearers
in the dim past.
But I can assure you that
it is of no further use
to our Mr. Palmfred.
Sleep?
In a sense, yes.
(MAN) Dr. Pope, should
I close him up now?
Yes, if you like.
I assure you, Ishi,
he is quite oblivious.
Arent you,
Mr. Palmfred?
I say, aren't you,
Mr. Palmfred?
[laughs]
Mr. Palmfred?
Oh, don't be alarmed.
This is Ishi
the Indian.
He was good enough
to look in on your operation,
and he has been particularly
vigilant ever since.
I couldn't quite convince him
you weren't dead.
You let an Indian
operate on me?
Well, it's a different
kind of sleep.
How many kinds?
Thats a good question.
I don't know.
Lets see if we have this.
[Ishi singing Indian music]
[speaking Yahi]
Thats you.
Thats me.
[KROEBER ON RECORDING]
Just get a little closer.
Thats you again.
? ?
[speaking Yahi]
Alfred.
Alfred.
Alfred!
I'm here.
I'm here.
-Its okay.
-Hold me.
Yes, okay, shh.
-Dont let me go.
-I'll keep you safe.
I don't want
to die, Alfred.
I'll keep you safe.
Now, this basket has been part
of our museum for nine years.
And just recently,
Ishi informed me
that it was made by a member
of his own family.
He tells me that its construction
mirrors the course of a human life.
The tight weave at the base
represents the time of childhood,
when all should be
simple and secure.
This part stands for a man's middle
years, when he will make his statement
and determine the way
in which he'll be remembered.
Finally, his life nearly over,
he will return to the simplicity
of his beginnings. Quite lovely.
Ishi has yet to find any comparable
meanings in our own tableware.
The most exquisite china,
I regret to say,
makes no impression
upon him at all.
Speaking of our friend,
he often drops in on my lectures
just to make sure
he doesn't catch me in a lie.
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is my honor to introduce you
to Ishi, the last Yahi,
and one of the most admirable
men of my acquaintance.
[applause]
Excuse me.
Alfred, I am
so damn sorry.
I sent for you
the moment I suspected.
What are you doing?
Alfred, what
are you doing?
-Taking her to a hospital.
-Alfred, she's gone.
Shes gone.
Let her rest.
Put her down.
Go ahead.
Thats right.
Good man.
Ishi, you just
follow my lead.
Just do what I do,
and you'll
be fine.
No.
Not always.
(KROEBER)
Ah, you're here.
This is interesting.
The Museum of Natural History
wants me to come to New York
for a year.
Theyre looking for someone
to put together an exhibit
on the Indians
of the Northwest.
I don't see how I can do it,
however,
not with all the work
that's to be done here.
Professor, are you all right?
Yes, thank you,
Mrs. Gustafson.
Now, where's Ishi?
Hes supposed to have
built me a house.
Well, it's all wrong, isn't it?
I mean...
people are going
to see this, Tom.
Is this the best we can do?
Look.
Well, under the circumstances,
yes, it is.
-Bad wood.
-Its the wrong sort of wood,
wrong everything. We need the materials
that he has in Deer Creek.
I want this
authentic.
-Well go there.
-What?
Well go to Waganupa.
You and I will map
the Yahi territory.
Well find out once and for all
where the southern Yana
might have left off
and where Ishi's people began.
Well take Pope with us. He can shoot
off arrows to his heart's content.
In two months,
with Ishi with us in the field,
we can do the ethnography,
ethnobotany.
We can't; you have
a conference in Chicago.
-I have a--
-Trivia, Tom, academic trivia.
Listen, the Yahi are gone.
Theyre dead.
But if I can learn
enough from Ishi,
I can make them live again.
I think you may
want to ask him first.
Ishi.
Will you take us
to Waganupa?
So we can know
the Yahi better.
I'll write it all down
so people
can understand and remember.
(POPE)
For Christs sakes.
Ishi, what on Earth
are you doing here?
Why are you--
Waterman, why is he scraping himself?
Hes preparing for the hunt,
Dr. Pope, in his way.
Intriguing. Ishi,
without incurring
the wrath of Zeus,
is there an abbreviated
version of this ceremony?
Saxton, this is what
we're here for, isn't it?
We want him to do it his way.
Lets have a little patience.
(POPE) Then of course there's
the Mediterranean release
developed by the Greeks,
widely preferred in Medieval times,
still preferred to this day
by some English archers.
But with that Mongolian
release of yours, Ishi,
you must achieve
a 40, maybe 45 pound--
[laughs]
Ooh, hoo, hoo, we've got it!
(POPE) Over here.
Ishi, whose arrow is it?
Do you know?
[laughs]
Did you hit it or I?
Whoa, your arrow or mine, Ishi?
Aahh, yours.
Good shot, Ishi. Good meat,
not raised on anybody's farm,
wild, rangey.
Hoo, stinking meat.
Waterman, take a photograph
of this beat for us, will you?
Have two copies made--
one for my scrapbook and one for Ishi's.
You do have a scrapbook,
don't you?
Hmm?
[speaking Yahi]
(POPE) Wouldnt it be nice if he could
stay, if we could put him back
the way you'd release
a trout into a stream?
Hed have all this.
Its not enough, Saxton.
Not if there's no one
to share it.
(POPE)
? What was the crime, Maria? ?
? But the more she said "woo,"
they said "way to go," ?
? And the swing
went a little bit higher. ? ?
-Ishi, how much farther is Waganupa?
-(ISHI) Soon.
Wait, stay, stay there
for just a moment, will you?
You must understand, my friend,
there is such a thing
as being too civilized.
What would your animal be,
Waterman?
(WATERMAN)
An eagle.
-(POPE) Sea lion's what I'd be.
-[laughs]
Wallowing in my blubber all day,
wagging my whiskers.
-Or a trout.
-It seems like a safe enough life.
Waganupa.
Waganupa.
What is it?
[speaking Yahi]
Bears hiding place.
(POPE)
Bloomin' idol made of mud,
what they call
the Great God Budd.
Plucky lot she cared
for idols
when I kissed her where she stood.
[laughs]
On the road to Mandalay
where the flying
fishes play.
And the dawn
comes up like thunder
out of China,
across the bay.
For the temple bells
are calling,
and it's there
that I would be,
by the old Moulmein Pagoda,
looking lazy
at the sea.
Ship me somewhere
east of Suez,
where the best
is like the worst,
and there aren't
no ten commandments,
and a man can raise a thirst,
where the temple bells are calling,
and it's there
that I would be,
by the old Moulmein Pagoda,
looking lazy at the sea.
On the road to Mandalay,
where the old flotilla lay,
can't you hear
their paddles clunking
from Rangoon to Mandalay?
On the road to Mandalay,
where the old flotilla lay.
And the dawn comes up
like thunder
out of China
across the bay.
[animal cries]
Looks like we raised up
some ghosts.
Ishi. What is it?
Come.
Thats your village.
Remarkable.
Look at this.
Look at this.
-Remarkably intact.
-No.
Ishi house.
Oh.
[hounds baying]
Saldu.
[gunshots]
Ishi?
Uh, yes.
I don't know--
I think so.
What she sing?
Sing it.
I, uh...
I can't.
Sing it.
Ishi, I can't.
Ishi last Yahi.
[sobbing]
[singing in Yahi]
? ?
Well, I hate
for it to be over.
I'm thinking of going
to New York for a year
and work for
the Museum of Natural History.
New York?
What about your work
here in San Francisco
with Ishi,
for instance?
Well, I suppose Waterman can keep
the ball rolling while I'm gone.
I suppose
he could.
And then I suppose
I could too.
But you're
the chief.
Youre the one
he's counting on.
Counting on
for what?
I think I'm tired of this
profession, Saxton.
Then you must
find a new one.
Doors always open
for a man of genius.
[bell rings]
Dont--
I'll pick it up.
Go home, Professor.
Go home and get
some rest.
[knock at door]
Mr. Ishi.
I'm Miss Edna Block.
Your friends thought we might
have something in common.
I like your friends.
Theyre very generous.
They told me
you're very clean.
This is perfectly
in order, Mr. Ishi.
People do this all the time.
You must have
heard of it.
All perfectly in order.
[singing]
? ?
Morning, Ishi.
Morning, Chief.
Sleep well?
No sleep.
-No sleep at all?
-Nope.
-Is something the matter?
-Nothing matter.
Well, good job,
you're cleaning them all.
Clean them all, Chief.
? ?
Ah, Kroeber,
have you seen this?
This is Ishi's.
Beautiful.
I suspect Tom
of something serious.
I thought I'd check with you
before I spoke with him.
How serious? I can't conceive of
Waterman committing a hanging offense.
Both the groundskeeper
and Mrs. Gustafson,
who happened to arrive
especially early this morning,
saw a woman coming
out of the museum.
And I think I know what
she was doing there.
Yes, she's a prostitute.
I engaged her for Ishi.
Dont blame Tom.
He didn't know anything about it.
Damn it, Saxton.
What were you thinking of?
Well, I was thinking
of doing a favor for my friend.
I will not have
that man exploited.
Exploited?
What on Earth gives you the right
to judge me in that manner?
And what the hell business
is it of yours
what I elect
to do for poor old Ishi?
She might very well
have had a disease.
-Well, she didn't. I examined her.
-Hes vulnerable, Saxton,
here in our world, so far away from
everything he loves and understands.
All the more reason to help
make him feel at home,
wouldn't you think?
Kroeber, Ishi is a grown man.
What other chance do you think
he's going to get?
Do you really suppose
he's going to meet
an attractive
widow at a tea
and dazzle her
with his conversation?
Youve dishonored him.
Dishonored him.
I've not dishonored--
-Deflowered him, perhaps.
-Thats not funny.
Kroeber,
I don't understand you.
For whom are you
keeping Ishi pure?
Of what possible benefit
is it to humanity
that poor old Ishi
never gets a chance
to know what it's like
to be with a woman?
Hes just a man, Alfred.
A poor chump
like you and me.
Let him live
his life.
I won't have this kind of thing
happening again.
Dont order me about
in my own office.
If you want to be a policeman,
do it somewhere else.
-Ishi?
-Chief.
Come, sit.
Ishi, I know that a woman
has visited you.
It is better that this
does not take place again.
Why?
It is not wise.
Saldu not do this thing?
Chief not do this thing?
I'll say it again, Ishi.
It is not wise.
Ishi.
Back to work.
Okay work, Chief?
You must trust me.
Do you trust me?
Ishi.
No! No!
No, Ishi house!
Saxton.
-Have you seen Ishi?
-As a matter of fact I have, yes.
I'm instructing him as usual
in all matters of perversions.
I don't wish to have
our argument again.
Hes been wandering about.
He was with Mrs. Channing,
the woman who just
had her spleen out.
He was singing one of those
atrocious Yahi songs to her.
She likes hearing him
drone on and on.
-It seems to comfort her.
-Where is he likely to be now?
Well, he could be
anywhere, I suppose.
He likes to explore.
You know that.
Why, is anything wrong?
-You gentlemen seen Ishi?
-Uh, we just passed him down the hall.
Thank you.
Ishi, come on in.
Dont worry;
they won't bite.
Ishi.
Not to all,
to some.
It is not
for you to say.
What you believe
is not what we believe.
Chief believe nothing.
-You tell them to stop.
-I will not.
How dare you speak to me
about my wife?
Well, he can't be
all that lost.
He knows how
to ride the trolley.
I'm sorry;
what did you say?
I said he knows how
to ride the trolley.
Yes, that's true.
[coughs]
Hey, digger.
You want
a job?
Job?
-Got job.
-Youve got a job?
And I bet it's a picnic
of a job too.
Why don't you go
back to it then
and get the hell
off of my property?
Waterman,
he's here.
-[coughing]
-Ishi.
Lets get him to his room.
Here you go.
-Kuwi cut Ishi?
-No, no surgery.
I'm sure just a little rest.
Afraid Kuwi place.
What place is that?
Place where Kuwi
cut Saldu,
place we sleep
not sleep.
Youre angry
with me.
Why are you angry with me?
What have I done to you?
Book.
This?
-You put Ishi here.
-Yes.
Not here.
Well, there are no bacilli
in the sputum.
It appears to be a simple
upper respiratory infection.
You can go back to the museum
whenever you like, old friend.
Saxton.
I'd like a word with you.
Yes, of course.
I've made up my mind
about New York.
This might not be
the best time to leave.
I had such an
opportunity, Saxton--
so much to learn from him,
so much to teach him, but I ruined it.
I think he'll be
better off without me.
Youll keep an eye
on him, won't you?
Of course.
(KROEBER) I want you to close down
the Pacific Islands exhibit.
(WATERMAN)
What about the new building?
Apparently, we won't know
anything until next fall.
I should be
back by then.
(WATERMAN)
He wanted to be sure
he had a chance
to say good-bye.
Big trip
now, Chief?
Yes, big trip.
Its better
that I go.
I'll see you again.
-Chief.
-Yes, Ishi?
Send postcard.
Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Whatley,
may I present our guest
of honor, Dr. Alfred Kroeber?
Mr. and Mrs. Whatley
are extremely good friends
-of the museum.
-I'm delighted to have you, Professor.
-I'm delighted to be here.
-We know of your work,
of course, particularly
in regards to that Indian.
-Whats his name?
-Ishi.
Ah, a fascinating case.
Youll write a book,
I assume.
I think not,
Mr. Whatley.
-Oh, I'd like to urge you to do so, sir.
-Thank you, but my mind's made up.
Well, I have a number
of close friends
in the publIshing business
who would be more than happy--
Mr. Whatley, I do not intend
to write a book about Ishi.
But I thank you
for your interest.
Certainly.
Excuse me.
[coughing]
[knock at door]
-Hello?
-(MRS. GUSTAFSON) Good morning, Ishi.
Mails come.
Professor Kroeber
sent you this.
Postcard.
And this.
[speaking Yahi]
Here, let me show you.
I never met a man
who didn't love a fine knife.
(WATERMAN)
Mrs. Gustafson just got back
from visiting her mother
in Santa Monica.
The old lady's 96 years old,
she says,
and remembers when California
was part of Spain.
In her absence
all is quiet.
And Ishi and I had
a fine time running the museum.
He took me out
to dinner yesterday.
He has quite
a bankroll by now.
He is still plagued
with a series of colds.
Pope says the high temperatures
he has are due to reinfections.
And we all share your concerns
about tuberculosis.
Pope did another sputum test,
and still no bugs.
Of course, that's no guarantee,
but Pope says not to worry;
Kuwi has his eye on Ishi.
I was just double-checking
the measurements.
We should have three feet
of clearance once it's standing.
The carving is beautiful,
isn't it, sir?
Whoever made this is more
than just a wood carver.
Good Lord.
[coughing]
Please, we need
some help here.
Pipe waters
taste bad.
Yes, it does.
Can I get you
anything else?
Sweet water.
Spring water?
Oh, Ishi.
I'll get you
spring water.
Just like water
from Waganupa.
Well, the bacilli
have shown up.
But by now, the symptoms
are plain enough without them.
What are you
saying?
Galloping consumption,
I'm afraid.
Hes a goner, Tom.
(WATERMAN) Pope has thought it best not
to keep Ishi in the hospital.
Theres not much
they can do for him there
that we can't do at the museum.
His fever persists,
I'm afraid.
Weve had the devil of a time
getting food down him,
but he wants to cooperate.
And it breaks your heart
to see him eat.
You know he's doing it more
for our sake than his own.
How long he'll last,
no one can say.
Pope says he's developed signs
of pyloric obstruction
and that a single pulmonary
hemorrhage could finish him off.
I don't like
the look of this.
Why?
If we wish to depict
the Modoc accurately,
we should present them
with flattened heads.
-Flattened?
-Yes, the back of their skulls
are compressed at birth, so the back of
the head has more altitude.
Well, I don't see how we can
flatten a dummy's head.
Well, it's inauthentic.
At least
get rid of the grinding stone.
a Metate would be
more representative.
But I don't believe
we have a Metate, sir.
Nonsense, you have
a vast museum here.
If you can't find one,
I'll do it myself.
-Is this it?
-Yes, sir.
Then there should be
one here somewhere.
-Whats this?
-Um, Paiute, Blackfoot,
Comanche--
Oh, my God.
Seminole, Miwok.
I have to go.
San Francisco? But the exhibit is
opening this week.
-What will I tell everyone?
-Tell them I've been called
to the bedside of an old friend.
I'll be away for some time,
Miss Berney.
-Is there some emergency?
-Afraid so.
Professor Kroeber,
this just came for you.
Oh, God,
I must stop it.
Just say
"no autopsy."
Repeat: no autopsy.
Confirm immediately,
Kroeber.
Thats k-r-o-e-b.
That all?
No, add this:
science can
go to hell.
I'll wait for a response.
Sir?
(POPE) Instructions for autopsy
arrived too late.
Procedure performed
with great reverence
in spirit
of scientific inquiry.
Sorry, Pope.
(MRS. GUSTAFSON)
Professor.
We didn't expect
you back so soon.
I'd like to go
to his room,
see his room.
His belongings are safe.
I've had them stored.
We had him cremated.
Beforehand, we put some things
in his coffin--
some fire sticks,
some dried venison, tobacco,
and his bow, of course,
and a quiver of arrows.
Oh, he left money
behind, you know--
nearly $400.
I used about half of it
to pay for the cremation.
And I didn't think you'd mind.
I donated the other half to the hospital
for teaching purposes.
Make it pay for some
Kuwi's education.
Pope took his
death mask.
[singing in Yahi]
? ?
? ?
[voice falters]
? ?
I heard your singing.
Yes, so you did.
Are you tired?
No.
I feel strong.
I could travel forever.
Your people
are waiting for you.
Yes.
Go to them, Ishi.
The slaughterhouse.
Hey!
I tell you what.
Well call that dog off
if you keep your seat.
Hog-tie him.
Come on.
Easy, Rudy.
I thought you was
one of them sasquatches.
What do you want? Food?
Que quieres?
Any language
you do speak, digger?
Dont scare him
any more, Eddie.
Poor creature's
done in.
(EDDIE) God almighty, Bob,
it's a wild Indian.
Big discovery like this,
I'm surprised your Dr. Kroeber
didn't come himself.
He wanted to.
I'm afraid his wife is ill.
I can assure you Dr. Kroeber
is vitally interested.
Well, he ought to be.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
You don't find a fellow
like this too often anymore.
I finally told all
of the reporters to clear out.
Figured the Indian could use
a little breathing room.
Yes, thank you.
He ain't dangerous,
just kind of silent.
Yes, thank you
very much.
He likes donuts.
Yes, thank you.
Well, let's--
let's find out who you are.
Shall we?
Maidu.
Mutuma? Mutuma?
Is that word
familiar?
How would you
like a candy?
Go ahead.
Eat.
No.
You see, you take
the paper off first,
like so.
Its better,
isn't it?
Um, let's see.
Um, well,
you're not Maidu.
Youre not Miwok.
Youre not Pomo.
Youre not
Chimariko.
Are you aware of the fact that
you're none of these things?
No.
Dilimi.
Sivini.
-Sivini.
-Yes?
Sivini Wood?
-Sivini.
-Sivini.
Yes. Sivini.
That can't be.
-Youre a Yahi?
-Yahi.
Yahi.
But there are no Yahi.
The Yahi are extinct.
[speaking Yahi]
[band playing
camptown racetrack]
? ?
[bell rings]
Excuse me.
(WOMAN) Excuse me, sir? Sshh.
The women of the Oroville
Monday Club
wish to present you, sir,
with this luncheon basket
for your journey
to San Francisco.
And knowing of your life
as a free-ranging man
of nature,
we offer our fondest hopes
that our civilization
will not disappoint you.
Ma'am, thank you.
(WOMAN)
Professor, he's here.
He won't much care to shake hands.
Remember not to stare at him.
Hell take offense at that. Nothing
wrong with a friendly smile, however.
-Whats this?
-Thats punch and cookies.
I thought we should have
something for him, something--
You're right, of course.
Should have thought of it myself.
Its an historic moment,
Mrs. Gustafson.
Were about to meet the last truly
primitive man in our continent
and offer him
punch and cookies.
Well, well.
Look at this.
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
-I don't know what that is.
-He asked if I'm a chief.
Well, I suppose
you are.
-Well, I suppose I am.
-Big Chief, we call him.
Chiep.
-Oh, ah.
-That is quite clever.
I can't wait for you
to really hear him speak.
Phonetically, he has
some of the prettiest
cracked consonants
I've heard in my life.
(KROEBER)
I'll bet.
I believe he likes your button,
Mrs. Gustafson.
Oh, you
like this.
(KROEBER) No doubt he's marveling
at the perfection of its shape,
the brilliance
of its color.
Please.
[speaking Yahi]
Mm, it is good. Very good.
Does he have
a name?
(KROEBER) Yes, but it would be
the height of rudeness to ask.
Names are very
private with them.
(GUSTAFSON) And are we to call him
anything at all?
(KROEBER) Well, Ishi.
In his language, it means man.
Something of that sort
might do.
Man--that sounds
rather impersonal.
(KROEBER)
Ishi.
Shall we call you Ishi?
[speaking Yahi]
Well, that settles that.
Shall we show him to his room?
Here we are.
Come, come.
Come.
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
What was that?
He finds it's curious that
our houses have no smoke holes.
[loud shuffling]
[speaking Yahi]
For the daylight.
Well, it, um--
Yes, um, it's late.
[speaking Yahi]
Heres your bed.
Its for sleeping.
[speaking Yahi]
Bed.
Bed.
That is very good.
Okay, you get some sleep.
And we'll see each other
in the morning.
Well, he's full of curiosity--
but about the strangest things.
An aeroplane, for instance,
he regards it as the most
natural thing in the world.
On the other hand,
he's fascinated with doorknobs.
-Arent you going to eat?
-Soon.
You know what
the doctor says.
-Take a look.
-Whats this?
Its for you.
Its an adirondack chair,
the kind you liked so much
at the sanatorium.
See how the back reclines?
And it also has an adjustable foot rest.
This won't help, Alfred.
Well, in any case,
I've ordered it.
It should be here
in a week or so.
So tell me more
about your Mr. Ishi.
-What will you do with him?
-Legally, I suppose, he'll be our ward.
Surely there are other Indians
who can look after him.
No other Yahi,
darling, not a single one.
And that's why
he's such a prize.
You make him sound like just another
artifact for your museum.
Hes much more valuable than that.
I can assure you.
And I'm the only person
who can understand him.
Without me, everything these
people were--their language,
their stories, art, religion--
would be forgotten.
I'm going to write a book.
Alfred.
(KROEBER)
What?
-What is it?
-I don't know.
I was just wondering.
Maybe there's some things
that should be forgotten,
things we aren't
worthy to know.
Well, you've just dispensed
with the entire field of anthropology.
[laughs]
I have to go.
Were introducing him
to the press this morning.
Bring him
to dinner.
To dinner?
On a day when I feel well.
Well have him over.
He won't wear shoes, you know.
As long as he's a gentleman.
Well, he seems to be that.
(KROEBER) Yes, we suspect he's been
living alone for years.
(MAN)
Whys his hair so short?
(KROEBER) Hes in mourning.
They do that.
-They singe their hair.
-Who died?
Everybody
he ever knew.
Professor Kroeber,
according to your own writings,
there hasn't been a Yahi sighted
for 20 years.
Whats he been
doing all this time?
I don't know.
He hasn't volunteered
that information, gentlemen.
-Yes, but have you asked him?
-Not yet.
I want him to feel settled first.
As you can imagine,
he finds our world
to be a very confusing
and disorienting place.
(MAN) Gentlemen,
over here.
Shoot straight,
Mr. Ishi.
-Good shot!
-[applause]
(KROEBER)
Hold on to your hats, gentlemen.
I think we have
a little photograph to be taken.
You say he's been
on a train
and ridden in a car.
Which of our marvels
has impressed him most?
The window shade.
I hear a lot of people have
been dropping by to see you.
Seems to be
some interest.
Well, he certainly put
your museum on the map.
(KROEBER) Mr. Whitney is from the
department of the interior.
(MR. WHITNEY) The Bureau
of Indian Affairs, to be precise.
Wild Indian division.
Theres a wild
Indian division?
There are
no more wild Indians.
Thats why it's
being phased out.
So what's to be
done with him?
Hell stay here
with us, of course.
Well, my job is
to make him happy.
Pardon me, Mr. Whitney, but that
sounds just like our government.
We do everything we can
to eliminate these people
from the face of the earth.
And then when one manages to survive,
we send someone around
to make sure he's happy?
Tom.
Wed like to send him
to Oklahoma.
I'm sorry,
Oklahoma?
-Tom.
-To one of the reservations.
That way, at least, he would
be around other Indians,
and he would live under
the care and at the expense
of the United States
Government.
We feel that would be
the best thing for him.
I speak six Indian languages,
Mr. Whitney.
Except for Ishi himself,
I may be the only person
in the world with a functional
grasp of the Yahi dialect.
I'm in the middle of composing
a definitive survey of the Indians
of Northern California. So you'll excuse
me if I also lay a claim
to knowing
what's best for Ishi.
I know this man
as well as anyone can.
And it is not
in his best interest
to be dumped
onto some wretched reservation.
Well, at some point, he is going to have
to learn to look after himself.
(KROEBER)
I've seen to that.
I've hired him.
Youve what?
(KROEBER) Hes on the payroll
as a museum helper,
salary of $10 a week.
I see.
Well, would you translate
this to him, please?
Would you tell him that,
if he wishes,
he is free to return
to his homeland on Deer Creek?
Ishim,
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
"I wish to stay where I am now,"
he says.
[speaking Yahi]
"I will grow old
in this place,
and it is here
I will die."
Is that an accurate translation,
Professor?
Are you accusing me of
embellIshing this man's speech?
-Not at all.
-I've seen your reservations,
how much the government cares
about these people,
and I won't let you
have him, Mr. Whitney.
And now, if you'll excuse me,
I have much to do.
Good day.
Good-bye, Ishi.
I hope our Dr. Kroeber is worthy
of the trust
you place in him.
Thats just my point, Tom.
Everything is anthropology.
I'll give you an example:
women's fashion.
It seems whimsical enough,
all these fluctuations--
skirt length, waist width,
plunging and rising necklines.
But plot it on a graph,
and what do you find?
Fashion will be
at its most haywire
immediately preceding
and following
periods of war and revolution.
The graver the crisis,
the greater the dcolletage.
Who else but an anthropologist
would even think to ponder
-such a question?
-More to the point,
-who else but Alfred Kroeber?
-[laughs]
Careful, dear.
Gravy, Mr. Ishi?
Uh, Ishi doesn't really
care for gravy, dear.
-Oh.
-(KROEBER) No, I'm afraid that he
is very particular
about his liquids, Mrs. Kroeber.
You see, he prefers
them transparent.
He won't touch coffee
nor root beer.
So he's come into civilization
full of opinions.
(KROEBER)
So it seems.
Well.
He reminds me of how you were
among the Arapaho,
trying so hard
to make a good impression.
[coughing]
Please forgive me, Tom.
Alfred is used to my outbursts,
but I think I've taken
you and Mr. Ishi unawares.
(WATERMAN)
Oh, no, ma'am, I just would hate
to think that you've tired
yourself out on our account.
I wonder if he would tell us
how he came to be alone.
I don't think that's
a very wise question, darling.
Why not? I don't think he's as fragile
as you suspect, Alfred.
I think he may
want to tell us.
-Wont you ask him?
-(KROEBER) Yes, of course.
[speaking Yahi]
[speaking Yahi]
(KROEBER) He says that
the Saldu, white man,
first came to Yahi lands
before he was born.
There was always trouble
between the Yahi and the Saldu.
He remembers it
when he was very young
that the world of the Yahi
seemed unchangeable to him.
[speaking Yahi]
(KROEBER) As permanent
as the sacred mountain or the Nopa.
Every summer,
the Yahi lived in its shadow.
And in the cold, winter months,
they moved down to the lowlands.
His strongest early memory
is of a bear
that his father
and his uncle killed.
They skinned it where it fell,
hauled the meat back to the camp,
and they buried
the carcass there.
-And called the spot--
-[Ishi speaking Yahi]
(KROEBER)
The bear's hiding place.
[speaking Yahi]
He remembers the day
the Saldu killed his father.
[shouting]
[gunshots]
[screams]
[sobbing]
(KROEBER) That evening, those that were
left burned the bodies and sang
to help their
friends find the way
to the trail
of the dead.
Thats enough
for tonight.
But he's not finished.
Let him go on with it.
(KROEBER) Henriette, I think
I know best in this instance.
Thats enough for tonight.
Yahi.
Yes, it is.
Ishi, you know--
Good night, Ishi.
Good night, Chief.
What did he mean,
the trail of the dead?
(KROEBER)
Thats their view of the afterlife.
The trail of the dead leads
to the land of the ancestors.
When you die, you walk along
the trail for a long way
until at last you come
to your own lodge
where your family
is gathered around the fire pit
waiting for you.
Do you believe in that?
The trail of the dead?
Well, not that.
Something--heaven, I suppose?
Well, I don't think
our view of the afterlife
is any more valid than theirs.
I didn't ask you if it was valid.
I asked you if you believed in it.
I shouldn't have had him over.
-Why?
-Hes upset you.
He hasn't upset me.
Its you who can't stand
to know the truth about things.
The very point in my profession
Is to search for the truth,
Henriette.
Yes, yes, yes, of course, the science
of man and his works.
Youre afraid of him,
I think.
Afraid?
Yes, to truly hear
what he told you.
You would rather
plot him on a graph
like your skirt lengths.
One thing about facing death,
I'm not afraid to let anything
into my heart anymore.
I won't stand
for that attitude.
-Youre not facing death.
-Yes, I am.
Its just that you
won't see it.
And that makes me
terribly lonely.
You know what I worry about?
That when I die,
you'll hold it against me.
Damn it, you're not going to
die; you're going to get well.
Yes, of course, well,
that's what we'll believe.
Its as if you took some sort of
pleasure in talking about it.
No, but I do take comfort
in facing it.
And it would mean
so much to me if I just--
What?
If I just knew that you would
stand by me in this,
that you wouldn't hide from me
when I need you so desperately.
But you must remember,
it is you who brought Ishi here,
and you can't hide from him.
That man's soul is
in your hands, Alfred.
-In English.
-Horse.
Horse.
Forward with the tongue. Ss.
-Hor-sssse.
-Very good.
-And this one?
-Saldu.
Yes, but what
is the Saldu doing?
Hes sleeping.
[speaking Yahi]
-Sleep.
-Sleep.
The picture doesn't tell us
what he's dreaming.
[speaking Yahi]
Yes, many soldiers.
Yes, yes.
Many medical people.
[knocks]
Here we go.
How are they treating you over
there at the museum, hmm, Ishi?
Feeding you plenty of good
acorn mush, are they?
You and I have a great,
great deal to talk about.
I have a pronounced
interest in archery,
and I understand from
Dr. Kroeber that in that field,
you are something
of a virtuoso.
Fine, strong skull.
Handsome set
of choppers.
No indication of tooth
decay or pyuria.
Hearts as sound
as a hide drum.
Interesting odor.
Its faintly
musty, like,
like tanned deerskin.
How did Henriette do
over the weekend?
Well, she's holding up.
Shes holding up.
If you like, I'll come by
tomorrow and visit with her.
I'd appreciate that.
I know she would too.
Easily done.
Ishi, we will
go unloose some arrows
one day soon, hmm?
Although I'm afraid you will
find that among us white devils,
archery is something
of a lost art.
You are probably the only human
being left on the continent
for whom archery
is more than just a hobby.
Perhaps you'll show us
your old haunts one day.
Oh, wouldn't that be splendid?
Visiting the wilderness in
the company of an expert guide?
-What do you say to that, Kroeber?
Well,
-I'm afraid Ishi doesn't care to return.
-What a pity.
That is a beautiful example
of what the human foot should be.
Look at those toes.
Theyre graceful,
unspoiled--
the longitudinal arch
is so well-preserved
it brings a tear to my eye.
If only you and I
had feet like that, Kroeber.
Have you ever seen
an appendectomy?
There we are,
Dr. Ishi--
the vermiform
appendix.
Obnoxious little thing.
Its quite useless, but it
is potentially quite deadly.
Clamp, please, Agnes.
There we are.
Oh, I suppose it served
some sort of function
for our primitive
forbearers
in the dim past.
But I can assure you that
it is of no further use
to our Mr. Palmfred.
Sleep?
In a sense, yes.
(MAN) Dr. Pope, should
I close him up now?
Yes, if you like.
I assure you, Ishi,
he is quite oblivious.
Arent you,
Mr. Palmfred?
I say, aren't you,
Mr. Palmfred?
[laughs]
Mr. Palmfred?
Oh, don't be alarmed.
This is Ishi
the Indian.
He was good enough
to look in on your operation,
and he has been particularly
vigilant ever since.
I couldn't quite convince him
you weren't dead.
You let an Indian
operate on me?
Well, it's a different
kind of sleep.
How many kinds?
Thats a good question.
I don't know.
Lets see if we have this.
[Ishi singing Indian music]
[speaking Yahi]
Thats you.
Thats me.
[KROEBER ON RECORDING]
Just get a little closer.
Thats you again.
? ?
[speaking Yahi]
Alfred.
Alfred.
Alfred!
I'm here.
I'm here.
-Its okay.
-Hold me.
Yes, okay, shh.
-Dont let me go.
-I'll keep you safe.
I don't want
to die, Alfred.
I'll keep you safe.
Now, this basket has been part
of our museum for nine years.
And just recently,
Ishi informed me
that it was made by a member
of his own family.
He tells me that its construction
mirrors the course of a human life.
The tight weave at the base
represents the time of childhood,
when all should be
simple and secure.
This part stands for a man's middle
years, when he will make his statement
and determine the way
in which he'll be remembered.
Finally, his life nearly over,
he will return to the simplicity
of his beginnings. Quite lovely.
Ishi has yet to find any comparable
meanings in our own tableware.
The most exquisite china,
I regret to say,
makes no impression
upon him at all.
Speaking of our friend,
he often drops in on my lectures
just to make sure
he doesn't catch me in a lie.
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is my honor to introduce you
to Ishi, the last Yahi,
and one of the most admirable
men of my acquaintance.
[applause]
Excuse me.
Alfred, I am
so damn sorry.
I sent for you
the moment I suspected.
What are you doing?
Alfred, what
are you doing?
-Taking her to a hospital.
-Alfred, she's gone.
Shes gone.
Let her rest.
Put her down.
Go ahead.
Thats right.
Good man.
Ishi, you just
follow my lead.
Just do what I do,
and you'll
be fine.
No.
Not always.
(KROEBER)
Ah, you're here.
This is interesting.
The Museum of Natural History
wants me to come to New York
for a year.
Theyre looking for someone
to put together an exhibit
on the Indians
of the Northwest.
I don't see how I can do it,
however,
not with all the work
that's to be done here.
Professor, are you all right?
Yes, thank you,
Mrs. Gustafson.
Now, where's Ishi?
Hes supposed to have
built me a house.
Well, it's all wrong, isn't it?
I mean...
people are going
to see this, Tom.
Is this the best we can do?
Look.
Well, under the circumstances,
yes, it is.
-Bad wood.
-Its the wrong sort of wood,
wrong everything. We need the materials
that he has in Deer Creek.
I want this
authentic.
-Well go there.
-What?
Well go to Waganupa.
You and I will map
the Yahi territory.
Well find out once and for all
where the southern Yana
might have left off
and where Ishi's people began.
Well take Pope with us. He can shoot
off arrows to his heart's content.
In two months,
with Ishi with us in the field,
we can do the ethnography,
ethnobotany.
We can't; you have
a conference in Chicago.
-I have a--
-Trivia, Tom, academic trivia.
Listen, the Yahi are gone.
Theyre dead.
But if I can learn
enough from Ishi,
I can make them live again.
I think you may
want to ask him first.
Ishi.
Will you take us
to Waganupa?
So we can know
the Yahi better.
I'll write it all down
so people
can understand and remember.
(POPE)
For Christs sakes.
Ishi, what on Earth
are you doing here?
Why are you--
Waterman, why is he scraping himself?
Hes preparing for the hunt,
Dr. Pope, in his way.
Intriguing. Ishi,
without incurring
the wrath of Zeus,
is there an abbreviated
version of this ceremony?
Saxton, this is what
we're here for, isn't it?
We want him to do it his way.
Lets have a little patience.
(POPE) Then of course there's
the Mediterranean release
developed by the Greeks,
widely preferred in Medieval times,
still preferred to this day
by some English archers.
But with that Mongolian
release of yours, Ishi,
you must achieve
a 40, maybe 45 pound--
[laughs]
Ooh, hoo, hoo, we've got it!
(POPE) Over here.
Ishi, whose arrow is it?
Do you know?
[laughs]
Did you hit it or I?
Whoa, your arrow or mine, Ishi?
Aahh, yours.
Good shot, Ishi. Good meat,
not raised on anybody's farm,
wild, rangey.
Hoo, stinking meat.
Waterman, take a photograph
of this beat for us, will you?
Have two copies made--
one for my scrapbook and one for Ishi's.
You do have a scrapbook,
don't you?
Hmm?
[speaking Yahi]
(POPE) Wouldnt it be nice if he could
stay, if we could put him back
the way you'd release
a trout into a stream?
Hed have all this.
Its not enough, Saxton.
Not if there's no one
to share it.
(POPE)
? What was the crime, Maria? ?
? But the more she said "woo,"
they said "way to go," ?
? And the swing
went a little bit higher. ? ?
-Ishi, how much farther is Waganupa?
-(ISHI) Soon.
Wait, stay, stay there
for just a moment, will you?
You must understand, my friend,
there is such a thing
as being too civilized.
What would your animal be,
Waterman?
(WATERMAN)
An eagle.
-(POPE) Sea lion's what I'd be.
-[laughs]
Wallowing in my blubber all day,
wagging my whiskers.
-Or a trout.
-It seems like a safe enough life.
Waganupa.
Waganupa.
What is it?
[speaking Yahi]
Bears hiding place.
(POPE)
Bloomin' idol made of mud,
what they call
the Great God Budd.
Plucky lot she cared
for idols
when I kissed her where she stood.
[laughs]
On the road to Mandalay
where the flying
fishes play.
And the dawn
comes up like thunder
out of China,
across the bay.
For the temple bells
are calling,
and it's there
that I would be,
by the old Moulmein Pagoda,
looking lazy
at the sea.
Ship me somewhere
east of Suez,
where the best
is like the worst,
and there aren't
no ten commandments,
and a man can raise a thirst,
where the temple bells are calling,
and it's there
that I would be,
by the old Moulmein Pagoda,
looking lazy at the sea.
On the road to Mandalay,
where the old flotilla lay,
can't you hear
their paddles clunking
from Rangoon to Mandalay?
On the road to Mandalay,
where the old flotilla lay.
And the dawn comes up
like thunder
out of China
across the bay.
[animal cries]
Looks like we raised up
some ghosts.
Ishi. What is it?
Come.
Thats your village.
Remarkable.
Look at this.
Look at this.
-Remarkably intact.
-No.
Ishi house.
Oh.
[hounds baying]
Saldu.
[gunshots]
Ishi?
Uh, yes.
I don't know--
I think so.
What she sing?
Sing it.
I, uh...
I can't.
Sing it.
Ishi, I can't.
Ishi last Yahi.
[sobbing]
[singing in Yahi]
? ?
Well, I hate
for it to be over.
I'm thinking of going
to New York for a year
and work for
the Museum of Natural History.
New York?
What about your work
here in San Francisco
with Ishi,
for instance?
Well, I suppose Waterman can keep
the ball rolling while I'm gone.
I suppose
he could.
And then I suppose
I could too.
But you're
the chief.
Youre the one
he's counting on.
Counting on
for what?
I think I'm tired of this
profession, Saxton.
Then you must
find a new one.
Doors always open
for a man of genius.
[bell rings]
Dont--
I'll pick it up.
Go home, Professor.
Go home and get
some rest.
[knock at door]
Mr. Ishi.
I'm Miss Edna Block.
Your friends thought we might
have something in common.
I like your friends.
Theyre very generous.
They told me
you're very clean.
This is perfectly
in order, Mr. Ishi.
People do this all the time.
You must have
heard of it.
All perfectly in order.
[singing]
? ?
Morning, Ishi.
Morning, Chief.
Sleep well?
No sleep.
-No sleep at all?
-Nope.
-Is something the matter?
-Nothing matter.
Well, good job,
you're cleaning them all.
Clean them all, Chief.
? ?
Ah, Kroeber,
have you seen this?
This is Ishi's.
Beautiful.
I suspect Tom
of something serious.
I thought I'd check with you
before I spoke with him.
How serious? I can't conceive of
Waterman committing a hanging offense.
Both the groundskeeper
and Mrs. Gustafson,
who happened to arrive
especially early this morning,
saw a woman coming
out of the museum.
And I think I know what
she was doing there.
Yes, she's a prostitute.
I engaged her for Ishi.
Dont blame Tom.
He didn't know anything about it.
Damn it, Saxton.
What were you thinking of?
Well, I was thinking
of doing a favor for my friend.
I will not have
that man exploited.
Exploited?
What on Earth gives you the right
to judge me in that manner?
And what the hell business
is it of yours
what I elect
to do for poor old Ishi?
She might very well
have had a disease.
-Well, she didn't. I examined her.
-Hes vulnerable, Saxton,
here in our world, so far away from
everything he loves and understands.
All the more reason to help
make him feel at home,
wouldn't you think?
Kroeber, Ishi is a grown man.
What other chance do you think
he's going to get?
Do you really suppose
he's going to meet
an attractive
widow at a tea
and dazzle her
with his conversation?
Youve dishonored him.
Dishonored him.
I've not dishonored--
-Deflowered him, perhaps.
-Thats not funny.
Kroeber,
I don't understand you.
For whom are you
keeping Ishi pure?
Of what possible benefit
is it to humanity
that poor old Ishi
never gets a chance
to know what it's like
to be with a woman?
Hes just a man, Alfred.
A poor chump
like you and me.
Let him live
his life.
I won't have this kind of thing
happening again.
Dont order me about
in my own office.
If you want to be a policeman,
do it somewhere else.
-Ishi?
-Chief.
Come, sit.
Ishi, I know that a woman
has visited you.
It is better that this
does not take place again.
Why?
It is not wise.
Saldu not do this thing?
Chief not do this thing?
I'll say it again, Ishi.
It is not wise.
Ishi.
Back to work.
Okay work, Chief?
You must trust me.
Do you trust me?
Ishi.
No! No!
No, Ishi house!
Saxton.
-Have you seen Ishi?
-As a matter of fact I have, yes.
I'm instructing him as usual
in all matters of perversions.
I don't wish to have
our argument again.
Hes been wandering about.
He was with Mrs. Channing,
the woman who just
had her spleen out.
He was singing one of those
atrocious Yahi songs to her.
She likes hearing him
drone on and on.
-It seems to comfort her.
-Where is he likely to be now?
Well, he could be
anywhere, I suppose.
He likes to explore.
You know that.
Why, is anything wrong?
-You gentlemen seen Ishi?
-Uh, we just passed him down the hall.
Thank you.
Ishi, come on in.
Dont worry;
they won't bite.
Ishi.
Not to all,
to some.
It is not
for you to say.
What you believe
is not what we believe.
Chief believe nothing.
-You tell them to stop.
-I will not.
How dare you speak to me
about my wife?
Well, he can't be
all that lost.
He knows how
to ride the trolley.
I'm sorry;
what did you say?
I said he knows how
to ride the trolley.
Yes, that's true.
[coughs]
Hey, digger.
You want
a job?
Job?
-Got job.
-Youve got a job?
And I bet it's a picnic
of a job too.
Why don't you go
back to it then
and get the hell
off of my property?
Waterman,
he's here.
-[coughing]
-Ishi.
Lets get him to his room.
Here you go.
-Kuwi cut Ishi?
-No, no surgery.
I'm sure just a little rest.
Afraid Kuwi place.
What place is that?
Place where Kuwi
cut Saldu,
place we sleep
not sleep.
Youre angry
with me.
Why are you angry with me?
What have I done to you?
Book.
This?
-You put Ishi here.
-Yes.
Not here.
Well, there are no bacilli
in the sputum.
It appears to be a simple
upper respiratory infection.
You can go back to the museum
whenever you like, old friend.
Saxton.
I'd like a word with you.
Yes, of course.
I've made up my mind
about New York.
This might not be
the best time to leave.
I had such an
opportunity, Saxton--
so much to learn from him,
so much to teach him, but I ruined it.
I think he'll be
better off without me.
Youll keep an eye
on him, won't you?
Of course.
(KROEBER) I want you to close down
the Pacific Islands exhibit.
(WATERMAN)
What about the new building?
Apparently, we won't know
anything until next fall.
I should be
back by then.
(WATERMAN)
He wanted to be sure
he had a chance
to say good-bye.
Big trip
now, Chief?
Yes, big trip.
Its better
that I go.
I'll see you again.
-Chief.
-Yes, Ishi?
Send postcard.
Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Whatley,
may I present our guest
of honor, Dr. Alfred Kroeber?
Mr. and Mrs. Whatley
are extremely good friends
-of the museum.
-I'm delighted to have you, Professor.
-I'm delighted to be here.
-We know of your work,
of course, particularly
in regards to that Indian.
-Whats his name?
-Ishi.
Ah, a fascinating case.
Youll write a book,
I assume.
I think not,
Mr. Whatley.
-Oh, I'd like to urge you to do so, sir.
-Thank you, but my mind's made up.
Well, I have a number
of close friends
in the publIshing business
who would be more than happy--
Mr. Whatley, I do not intend
to write a book about Ishi.
But I thank you
for your interest.
Certainly.
Excuse me.
[coughing]
[knock at door]
-Hello?
-(MRS. GUSTAFSON) Good morning, Ishi.
Mails come.
Professor Kroeber
sent you this.
Postcard.
And this.
[speaking Yahi]
Here, let me show you.
I never met a man
who didn't love a fine knife.
(WATERMAN)
Mrs. Gustafson just got back
from visiting her mother
in Santa Monica.
The old lady's 96 years old,
she says,
and remembers when California
was part of Spain.
In her absence
all is quiet.
And Ishi and I had
a fine time running the museum.
He took me out
to dinner yesterday.
He has quite
a bankroll by now.
He is still plagued
with a series of colds.
Pope says the high temperatures
he has are due to reinfections.
And we all share your concerns
about tuberculosis.
Pope did another sputum test,
and still no bugs.
Of course, that's no guarantee,
but Pope says not to worry;
Kuwi has his eye on Ishi.
I was just double-checking
the measurements.
We should have three feet
of clearance once it's standing.
The carving is beautiful,
isn't it, sir?
Whoever made this is more
than just a wood carver.
Good Lord.
[coughing]
Please, we need
some help here.
Pipe waters
taste bad.
Yes, it does.
Can I get you
anything else?
Sweet water.
Spring water?
Oh, Ishi.
I'll get you
spring water.
Just like water
from Waganupa.
Well, the bacilli
have shown up.
But by now, the symptoms
are plain enough without them.
What are you
saying?
Galloping consumption,
I'm afraid.
Hes a goner, Tom.
(WATERMAN) Pope has thought it best not
to keep Ishi in the hospital.
Theres not much
they can do for him there
that we can't do at the museum.
His fever persists,
I'm afraid.
Weve had the devil of a time
getting food down him,
but he wants to cooperate.
And it breaks your heart
to see him eat.
You know he's doing it more
for our sake than his own.
How long he'll last,
no one can say.
Pope says he's developed signs
of pyloric obstruction
and that a single pulmonary
hemorrhage could finish him off.
I don't like
the look of this.
Why?
If we wish to depict
the Modoc accurately,
we should present them
with flattened heads.
-Flattened?
-Yes, the back of their skulls
are compressed at birth, so the back of
the head has more altitude.
Well, I don't see how we can
flatten a dummy's head.
Well, it's inauthentic.
At least
get rid of the grinding stone.
a Metate would be
more representative.
But I don't believe
we have a Metate, sir.
Nonsense, you have
a vast museum here.
If you can't find one,
I'll do it myself.
-Is this it?
-Yes, sir.
Then there should be
one here somewhere.
-Whats this?
-Um, Paiute, Blackfoot,
Comanche--
Oh, my God.
Seminole, Miwok.
I have to go.
San Francisco? But the exhibit is
opening this week.
-What will I tell everyone?
-Tell them I've been called
to the bedside of an old friend.
I'll be away for some time,
Miss Berney.
-Is there some emergency?
-Afraid so.
Professor Kroeber,
this just came for you.
Oh, God,
I must stop it.
Just say
"no autopsy."
Repeat: no autopsy.
Confirm immediately,
Kroeber.
Thats k-r-o-e-b.
That all?
No, add this:
science can
go to hell.
I'll wait for a response.
Sir?
(POPE) Instructions for autopsy
arrived too late.
Procedure performed
with great reverence
in spirit
of scientific inquiry.
Sorry, Pope.
(MRS. GUSTAFSON)
Professor.
We didn't expect
you back so soon.
I'd like to go
to his room,
see his room.
His belongings are safe.
I've had them stored.
We had him cremated.
Beforehand, we put some things
in his coffin--
some fire sticks,
some dried venison, tobacco,
and his bow, of course,
and a quiver of arrows.
Oh, he left money
behind, you know--
nearly $400.
I used about half of it
to pay for the cremation.
And I didn't think you'd mind.
I donated the other half to the hospital
for teaching purposes.
Make it pay for some
Kuwi's education.
Pope took his
death mask.
[singing in Yahi]
? ?
? ?
[voice falters]
? ?
I heard your singing.
Yes, so you did.
Are you tired?
No.
I feel strong.
I could travel forever.
Your people
are waiting for you.
Yes.
Go to them, Ishi.