Susan Morris, a local researcher and writer, will discuss new research into the 1835 removal of native peoples from San Nicolas Island (the Nicoleños) and give details about their lives in the growing city of Los Angeles. Her presentation is titled, Finding the Lone Woman’s People: the Nicoleños in Los Angeles.

The story of the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island has fascinated people for generations and formed the basis for the popular children’s book, Island of the Blue Dolphins. In 1835, the Nicoleños were removed from their island home, except for one woman, who remained on the island for 18 years. In 1853, she sailed to Santa Barbara with George Nidever. Efforts were made to find people who could communicate with her, but she died seven weeks later, unable to fully share her story.

Morris will discuss new research using provincial Mexican papers, Los Angeles documents, American records, and church registers, which identified the Lone Woman’s people in Los Angeles. At least five men, women, and children are confirmed or are likely to have come to Los Angeles from San Nicolas Island in 1835. One Nicoleño, a 5 year-old boy who was given the name Tomas, was alive and living on Spring St. when the Lone Woman was brought to Santa Barbara in 1853.

Susan Morris is a researcher and writer who has been involved in Channel Islands research since 1987. She has participated in field studies on 7 of the 8 Channel Islands working on archaeology, paleontology, geology, and biology projects. Morris was the Principle Investigator of a cave-associated archaeological site survey in Wreck Canyon on Santa Rosa Island.

 

Her focus for the past six years has been historical research for the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island/Island of the Blue Dolphins website to be hosted by Channel Islands National Park. Her investigation into events connected to the Lone Woman’s story led Morris and coauthors to publish articles on the 1814 San Nicolas Island massacre and on the 1835 removal of the Lone Woman’s people to the mainland. She has also presented new information on the location of the Nidever adobe where the Lone Woman lived when she was brought to Santa Barbara in 1853. Morris’ research continues as she follows the paper trail left by the Lone Woman’s people, their family and friends, who lived in Los Angeles during the nineteenth century.