Island Of The Blue Dolphins(1964) -

Russian fur traders and Aleut hunters arrive to hunt sea otters but refuse to pay as agreed. A violent battle breaks out, and Karana's father, the chief, is killed along with many others.

Directed by James B. Clark, the film stars Celia Kaye as Karana, a performance that earned her a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year. Island of the Blue Dolphins(1964)

Finally, a ship arrives. Karana, now a woman, decides to trust the strangers and leaves her island home for a mission in Santa Barbara, accompanied by her pets. Film and Historical Context Russian fur traders and Aleut hunters arrive to

Based on the 1960 Newbery Medal-winning novel by Scott O'Dell, the 1964 film tells the survival story of Karana, a young Native American girl stranded on an island for 18 years. Story Overview Clark, the film stars Celia Kaye as Karana,

The story begins in 1835 on the island of Ghalas-at, where Karana's tribe, the Nicoleño, lives.

Over nearly two decades, Karana builds a home of whale bones, hunts for food, and develops a deep respect for the island's wildlife, eventually vowing to only hunt when absolutely necessary for survival.

Missionaries arrive to evacuate the remaining tribe members to the mainland. As the ship departs, Karana realizes her younger brother, Ramo, has been left behind. She jumps overboard and swims back to the island to stay with him.