The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island

Amongst California’s history is the saga of resilience and solitude embodied by Juana Maria, better known as the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island, which still captivates my imagination and reminds me of the capacity for endurance against formidable odds.

Juana Maria, a Native Californian woman of the Nicoleño tribe, became the last surviving member of her people. Residing alone on San Nicolas Island off the coast of what was known as Alta California from 1835 until her eventual removal in 1853, she bore witness to the loss of her people.

The inspiration for Scott O’Dell’s acclaimed children’s novel, “Island of the Blue Dolphins” (1960), Karana’s, now Juana Maria, solitary existence captured the hearts of young readers like me worldwide. Yet, beyond the pages of semi-fiction lies the reality that she was the final guardian of the Nicoleño language and culture.

The Channel Islands, a rugged archipelago off the California coast, have been inhabited for millennia. Juana Maria’s tribe, the Nicoleño, shared ancestral ties with the Tongva, indigenous peoples who inhabited the Southern Islands alongside the Chumash of the North.

The arrival of European explorers and settlers in the 16th century ushered in a new chapter in the islands’ history. Spanish conquistador Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the California coast for Spain in the early 1540s.

Tragically, Juana Maria’s people faced violence and displacement at the hands of outsiders. In 1814, Native Alaskan otter hunters working for the Russian-American Company massacred many islanders, accusing them of aggression.

The circumstances of Juana Maria’s solitary existence remain in question. Accounts vary regarding her separation from her people, with some speculating that she was inadvertently left behind during an evacuation, as others romanticize her story by having her diving from the vessel as a selfless act of love for her younger brother.

Ultimately, Juana Maria’s tale is one of survival against all odds. Rescued in 1853 by George Nidever, her story endures as a reminder of the indomitable human spirit and adds to the legacy of California’s indigenous peoples.

Seven weeks after arriving on the mainland, Juana Maria died on October 19, 1853, in Garey, California, from dysentery.