Uto Kenyak is a minor character in the Jem animated series. She is a hard-working Alaskan villager and Ba Nee's friendly pen pal. She features in only the episode The Middle of Nowhere.
History[]
Uto writes to Ba Nee initially to inform her that there is a rich businessman wanting to buy Attuk Island, which lends habitat to a bob of seals, and in particular her favorite seal, Naku. After Ba Nee expresses her concern, Jem and The Holograms agree to take Ba Nee to Alaska as they have a stop there on their tour, and she gets to meet up with Uto. She is very intelligent and helps her family by doing tasks and chores in their home, such as washing dishes and chopping logs of wood. She shows a talent for kayaking, which she is very experienced with and easily becomes an instructor for any newcomers, such as Jem and Ba Nee.
Through their stay, Uto takes care of her guests and puts their well-being before anything else. At one point, she helps Jem stop Ba Nee from being sucked into a whirlpool, and after Jem is knocked out, she uses the seals to return to shore and start a fire. She keeps Ba Nee as calm as possible while they wait for rescue and trusts that her family will find them. She spends a while trying to convince her family that the island should not be sold, to save the seals, and they eventually forget about money and realize that the seals were what saved her.
Personality[]
Uto is an intelligent and extremely selfless individual, who appears to be mature despite her young age. She is also a lover of animals, as she cares more about the well-being of the local seals when they are faced with endangerment. She stays calm in the most perilous situations, such as being stranded alone at a beach with no adult supervision, and uses her survival skills to start a fire and guide her guests through tough journeys. She shows adoration and love for her family, especially to her dad, Mr. Kenyak, and her brother, George Kenyak.