  We have determined the magnetic properties of epitaxially grown Dy islands on
graphene/SiC(0001) that are passivated by a gold film (deposited in the
ultra-high vacuum growth chamber) for {\it ex-situ} X-ray magnetic circular
dichroism (XMCD). Our sum-rule analysis of the Dy $M_{4,5}$ XMCD spectra at low
temperatures ($T=15$ K) as a function of magnetic field assuming Dy$^{3+}$
(spin configuration $^6H_{15/2}$) indicate that the projection of the magnetic
moment along an applied magnetic field of 5 T is 3.5(3) $\mu_B$. Temperature
dependence of the magnetic moment (extracted from the $M_5$ XMCD spectra) shows
an onset of a change in magnetic moment at about 175 K in proximity of the
transition from paramagnetic to helical magnetic structure at $T_{\rm H} =179$
K in bulk Dy. No feature at the vicinity of the ferromagnetic transition of hcp
bulk Dy at $T_{\rm c}$ = 88 K is observed. However, below $\sim$130 K, the
inverse magnetic moment (extracted from the XMCD) is linear in temperature as
commonly expected from a paramagnetic system suggesting different behavior of
Dy nano-island than bulk Dy.
