The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island March 25, 2012

The Lone Woman of San Nicolas lived alone on the island from 1835 to 1853.

If you’ve read “Island of the Blue Dolphins” by Scott O’ Dell you should be familiar with the story.

The story begins when a schooner under Captain Charles Hubbard carried away the Natives of San Nicolas Island except for one woman who boarded the ship but then realized her child or sibling was left behind,  jumps into the sea to save the child.  18 years later she was found on the Island by Captain Nidever, she was found alone with a dog in a crude house made from whale bones and dressed in a skirt made from cormorant feathers. 

She was taken to Mission Santa Barbara, she spoke only in sign language for the many  Indians at the Mission could not understand her strange language.   The Indians at Mission Santa Barbara were Chumash and the woman was from Gabrielino descent.  Both tribes spoke very differents dialects.

The lone woman who was named Juana Maria was buried on a hill near the Santa Barbara Mission.

 

Santa Barbara Day Trip March 18, 2012

My wife, daughter and myself took a day trip to Santa Barbara, California several years ago.  There is a lot to do there, we visited the Natural History Museum, Mission Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Zoo.   I wanted to learn a little bit more about the Chumash people and the museum had a beautiful exhibit.

 

Whale skeleton at the entrance to the museum.              Pygmy mammoth found on Santa Rosa Island.

 

Chumash Artifacts

                                              

Chumash woman and man.

 

Curious Bluebird                                                                  Stream behind the museum.

Beautiful rose garden in front of Mission Santa Barbara.

My wife took a lot of these pretty pictures.