Jane Ellen Wyatt Ishli

Jane Ellen Wyatt Ishli, lovingly known as “Ishli” or “Jinjinish,” was born on December 21, 1943, in Coarsegold, California, and passed away on March 6, 2026. Raised on Picayune Rancheria with her grandparents Nancy and Mike Wyatt, her father Gordon Wyatt, and her siblings and cousins, Jane grew up surrounded by the love and traditions of her Chukchansi family.

She attended Picayune School, Coarsegold Elementary, and Sierra High School before graduating from Galen College in 1976. Jane began her career as a dental assistant at American Indian Health, later advancing to Central Valley Indian Health where she became a Registered Dental Assistant. She concluded her professional life serving 12 years in the Table Mountain Rancheria Dental Department before retiring.

Jane’s dedication to her people defined her life. She served as Provisional Council Chairwoman of Picayune Rancheria and became the first Chairperson of the Chukchansi Tribe from 1980 to 1992, playing a key role in the Tribe’s federal recognition. From 2008 to 2018, she worked alongside her sister Holly as a language keeper, teaching the Chukchansi language to preschool and kindergarten students, afterschool programs, and summer camps in partnership with the Tribe, local schools, and Fresno State University. She also shared her cultural knowledge through workshops on basket making, soaproot brush making, and traditional gathering practices, while enjoying softball, selling Indian tacos, and playing cards with family and friends.

Jane is survived by her sisters Holly Wyatt and Winnie Moore; her children Randy Theodore Atkins, Samuel Gordon Lawhon, and Juanita Kimberley Lawhon; 14 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother Lillian E. Jones, her father Gordon Lola Wyatt, her grandparents Nancy and Mike Wyatt, and her brother Kenneth L. Wyatt, Sr. She will be remembered for her strength, leadership, cultural wisdom, radiant smile, sense of humor, and the deep love she held for her family and community.