Island of The Blue Dolphins Comprehension

There is a full scale fight before the Aleuts leave. Although the tribe initially seems to have the advantage, the Aleuts use a cannon from their ship to kill many of the warriors. Finally, the tribe retreats and the Aleuts escape, bombarding the island with their cannon as they leave. Chief Chowig’s lifeless body lies on the beach.

27 of the tribe’s 42 members die in the battle with the Aleuts, including most of the young men. Of the fifteen people left, most are old men, women, and children. This is a major problem because the young men are traditionally the ones who fish, catch birds, and build canoes.

The tribal council chooses a new chief, an old man named Kimki. Kimki decides that women must now perform jobs that were formerly performed by men. Everyone in the tribe is given a job – even little Ramo is asked to contribute by keeping the seagulls away from the food. Ulape and Karana are assigned to collect abalones, a kind of shellfish, from the cove.