Zia

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses racism, physical abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse, graphic violence, and death. 

O’Dell’s two-book series, which includes Island of the Blue Dolphins and Zia, explores the lives of young Indigenous people in early 19th-century California. Island of the Blue Dolphins remains O’Dell’s most popular and successful book for young readers and is based on a true story. The novel follows a young Nicoleño girl named Karana, who lives alone for 18 years on her native home of San Nicolas Island, the outermost of the Channel Islands off the California coast. 

Karana’s story is based on the life of Juana Maria, a Nicoleño woman. Historical records offer little information about Nicoleño history and culture, as their population declined significantly following European colonization, partly due to the relocation efforts of Spanish Missions. The Nicoleño people were decimated in a massacre by Russian Alaskan fur traders who arrived on San Nicolas Island to hunt sea otters and seals. Years later, survivors were relocated to the Santa Barbara Mission in California. Juana Maria, the last surviving member of the tribe, was left behind in a storm. She spent 18 years alone on the island from 1835 until her ultimate removal in 1853.

In the first novel, O’Dell depicts Karana as a 12-year-old girl and explores her resilience and struggle to survive, using skills reinforced by her connection to the natural world. Published in the 1960s, the novel was seen as innovative for portraying a strong Indigenous female protagonist and exploring the injustices perpetrated against Indigenous peoples. Literary critics contend that, as a white author exploring Indigenous characters, O’Dell both challenges and reproduces stereotypical tropes about Indigenous people. The novel has also been praised as a book that introduces young readers to issues like colonialism and Indigenous sovereignty. 

In Zia, O’Dell continues his exploration of Indigenous struggles by creating the fictional character Zia, Karana’s niece, who dreams of reuniting with her aunt. The book delves into the struggles of Indigenous people within the Spanish Mission system in the 19th century, as Zia lives in the Santa Barbara Mission with her brother Mando. In particular, O’Dell employs historical fiction elements to highlight issues of displacement, exploitation of Indigenous people, and Indigenous resistance to assimilation.