ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS

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ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS
by Scott O'Dell
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Won-a-pa-lei, a twelve-year-old Ghalas-at
Indian girl, and her family lived a quiet life on
an island known as the Island of the Blue
Dolphins.
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One day when Won-a-pa-lei and her brother,
Ramo, were gathering roots for their village,
they noticed a Russian ship sailing towards their
island.
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Ramo ran wildly to see the big canoe.
Carrying their weapons, the village men of
Ghalas-at also moved swiftly toward the shore.
Half the men went to the shore, but the others,
including Won-a-pa-lei, hid in bushes ready to
attack if necessary.
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The captain of the Aleutian ship and his crew
wanted permission to hunt for sea otter. Due to
their past experience with the Aleutians,
Won-a-pa-leis Father, Chief Chowig, was
reluctant to allow the Aleuts to hunt, but
finally agreed to do so for a percentage of the
profits. Captain Orlov and his hunters moved
to the island that morning. Chief Chowig warns
his people to stay away from the Aleut camp,
because they were not to be trusted. Although
the Ghalas-at people did not venture close, they
kept a watch from a distance.
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The villagers realized that the Aleutians
were attempting to leave without sharing their
profits. There was a confrontation between Chief
Chowig and Captain Orlov. As a result, a fight
broke out and the Chief and many of his men were
killed.
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Now that most of the men had been killed in
the battle, the women had to hunt for the tribes
food. The women worked hard and were much better
hunters than the men. This eventually caused
conflict between the remaining men and women.
This problem, compounded by their grief, led to
division among the tribe members. The new chief,
Kimki, decided to set sail to find a new home for
his people.
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The islanders watched anxiously for Kimkis
return, but at the same time they nervously
anticipated the Aleutians red sails. Spring
came and left. One calm night, a villager
spotted sails. At first they thought it was an
Aleuts ship, but they soon realized that the
ship belong to white men who were sent by Kimki.
These men came to take the villagers to their new
home.
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A storm was brewing and the islanders were
encouraged to pack in a hurry and to only take
their important belongings. As the villagers
boarded the ship, Won-a-pa-lei noticed that her
brother Ramo was not on the ship. She saw Ramo
running along the cliff with the spear in his
hand that he had forgotten. Without hesitation,
Won-a-pa-lei flung herself into the sea. Even
though the storm had become fierce, she was not
afraid. When she reached her brother, she fell
to her knees and hugged him. Won-a-pa-lei and
Ramo were now stranded on the island all alone.
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Now you will enjoy an adventurous cruise to
the Island of the Blue Dolphins. As you dip with
the dolphins, you will explore the Chumash
culture, visit exotic sea animals, and enjoy a
seafood extravaganza.
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Created by Deborah Sweeney Theresa
Whitehead Ruthie McDavid