The most famous Yana is Ishi, of the Yahi tribe, who was found trying to hide from the white people who had killed all the rest of his people. He was rescued from jail by Kroeber and taken to live at the University of California, where Kroeber transcribed his language and learned how his people lived. The Yana followed the Central Valley and Plains way of life hunting antelope, elk and deer, catching salmon and harvesting acorns., The Yana gave the Atsugewi salt, dentalia and buckeye fire drills, and got buckskin, arrows, wildcat skin quivers and woodpecker scalps. They gave the Achomawi buckeye fire drills, deer hides, buckskin, dentalia and salt, and got obsidian. They gave the Northern Wintun (Patwin) salt and got magnesite beads and dentalia. They gave the Central Wintun baskets and got clam disc beads and magnesite beads. They got clam disc beads from the Northwestern Maidu and from "the North" barbed obsidian arrowheads, which were exchanged for deer hides and buckskin.

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California Native American Language Map