The plight of American Indians in the hands of the white regime has been characterized by suffering and confusion. The Ishi performance tells the story of Ishi, an Indian man who visited a small town in Northern California. The appearance of the Ishi inspired mixed feelings. Some people were amazed, some feared and some pitied the confused Ishi. I was surprised that most of the people reacted as if they had seen their biggest fear. According to them, Ishi represented something terrifying and mysterious. A suggestion by the civil leaders was made to keep Ishi in the museum because they believed he was the last of his tribe. The decision by the Anthropologist that Ishi should be kept in the museum for the purpose of science is heartbreaking.
