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Island of the Blue Dolphins Revisited: The Search for the True Story
May 17, 2015 @ 12:00 am
Recently retired, Steve was the Navy’s senior archaeologist on San Nicolas for the past 25 years. Due to this uniqueposition, he has become one of the leading experts on the Lone Woman story, the true story behind ‘Island of the Blue
Dolphins’.
During his time with the Navy, Steve oversaw the excavation of dozens of archaeological sites spanning several
thousand years of island occupation. He also has a keen interest in the history of the island and has conducted studies of
the various historic themes from sheep ranching through the Cold War. He continues to research the story of the Lone
Woman and publish his findings.
Steve’s talk will recap what is known of the true story behind the
beloved children’s novel ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’, and will present
the latest archival and archaeological findings. Much new information
has come to light in the last few years; recently discovered Russian documents
add to our understanding of the circumstances of Lone Woman’s
abandonment, the tragic start of the story; on-going archival research into
church and census records document the history of the rest of the tribe’s
removed in 1835; and new historical research adds to our understanding
of her life in Santa Barbara, the tragic end of the story. Also highlighted
are exciting new archaeological finds that add details about her isolated
life on the island: the search to find the cave where she lived, and the
amazing discovery of a cache of artifacts that show how she lived and
survived.
Steve has walked where she walked, is one of the leading experts
on the story, and has many insights from his 25 years of experience on the
island.
Admission is $15.00 for non-members, $10.00 for SBMAL members, OMSB Docents, and students with valid ID.
All proceeds benefit the Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library and Old Mission Santa Barbara.
For more information call (805) 682-4713 or email director@sbmal.org
Reservation Form available on our website, below.
hm 4/30/15; 5/5