Today Queen Gabriella wears feathered eyelashes in reference to Juana Maria’s greenish cormorant feathered skirt, which was sent to the Vatican but now appears to have been lost.
Today Queen Gabriella wears feathered eyelashes in reference to Juana Maria’s greenish cormorant feathered skirt, which was sent to the Vatican but now appears to have been lost.
This modern day queen wears a simple but elegant dress made from Palm tree husk. No matinee idol leopard skin bikini for her.
This modern day queen wears a simple but elegant dress made from Palm tree husk.
No matinee idol leopard skin bikini for her.
Her wide rolled collar is festooned with clusters of pods of Firmiana Simplex, the Chinese Parasol tree from the Fullerton Arboretum.
Her wide rolled collar is festooned with clusters of pods of Firmiana Simplex, the Chinese Parasol tree from the Fullerton Arboretum.
Human use of palms can be dated to the Mesopotamians 5000 years ago.
Human use of palms can be dated to the Mesopotamians 5000 years ago.
The rich toned fibre is accented with Rosettes made from Araucaria, New Caledonia Pine Needles and strings of red Palm Berries.
The rich toned fibre is accented with Rosettes made from Araucaria, New Caledonia Pine Needles and strings of red Palm Berries.
Queen Gabriella’s dress stands near a man made waterfall as a reminder of the stereotypical jungle bunny outfits dreamed up for Hollywood B movies.
Queen Gabriella’s dress stands near a man made waterfall as a reminder of the stereotypical jungle bunny outfits dreamed up for Hollywood B movies.
Poster for the film adaptation of Island of the Blue Dolphins in 1964 where she sported a buckskin dress.
Poster for the film adaptation of Island of the Blue Dolphins in 1964 where she sported a buckskin dress.

Queen Gabriella San Nicholas

Queen Gabriella San Nicholas is a direct descendant of Juana Maria from the Nicoleño tribe who inhabited the Channel Islands off the California coast. Most of the island’s 300 inhabitants were massacred in 1814 during the California Fur Rush for Otter pelts. The Santa Barbara Mission sponsored a rescue of the remaining tribe but somehow Juana Maria was left behind. She survived on her own for 18 years and died only 7 weeks after her arrival at the Mission due to the richness of the foods in the New World. Scott O’Dell’s award-winning children’s novel Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960) was inspired by her story.

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