– Early Life:
– Born in Fort Stockton, Texas as the son of an army surgeon
– Grew up in military camps and frontier towns
– Learned archery, horsemanship, riflery, knifemaking, and other skills
– Built and attempted to fly a glider
– Graduated from the University of California medical school in 1899
– Relationship with Ishi:
– Met Ishi at the University hospital due to his lack of immunity to diseases
– Learned Yahi language and tribal folklore from Ishi
– Learned bow and arrow making and hunting from Ishi
– Stayed close to Ishi until his death from tuberculosis in 1916
– Insisted on Ishi’s autopsy and brain removal against Ishi’s wishes
– Later Life:
– Became an avid bowhunter during time with Ishi
– Hunted grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park with handmade bows and arrows
– Stuffed and mounted bears on display at the California Academy of Sciences
– Wrote the book “Hunting with the Bow and Arrow”
– Continued bowhunting until his death in 1926 from pneumonia
– Legacy:
– Honored as namesakes of the Pope and Young Club dedicated to bowhunting
– Club includes a world record book for North American game taken in Fair Chase
– Reintroduced bow and arrow making skills to Native Americans
– Helped communities that had lost the art of traditional bow and arrow making
– Legacy continues through the ongoing work of the Pope and Young Club
– References:
– Saxton Temple Pope. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28
– Retrieved 2007-09-07
– Book: “Hunting with the Bow & Arrow” by Saxton Pope
– Book: “Ishi’s Brain” by Orin Starn (2004)
– ISBN: 978-0-393-05133-9
– External Links:
– Website: www.pope-young.org
Saxton Temple Pope (September 4, 1875 – August 8, 1926) was an American doctor, teacher, author and outdoorsman. He is most famous as the father of modern bow hunting, and for his close relationship with Ishi, the last member of the Yahi tribe and the last known American Indian to be raised largely isolated from Western culture.
