Pocahontas and Early Modern Colonization
An Early Colonization of North America is a horrifying crime against humanity, and for many years the truth of native tribes and colonialists has been hidden from the majority. It is recently now that the media and many researchers made it possible to know the horrors of a nearly extinct nation. The most well-known figure representing the indigenous nations is a young girl- Pocahontas. Her story is an interesting case as it was told from the perspective of a European explorer- John Smith. But her story is not a romantic tale of a brave native princess as Disney chose to depict it on the screen. It is a story of a brave girl whose father was a leader of a tribe in a land known today as Jamestown, Virginia. Although the girl is young and brave, her story is one more door to the encounters and exchanges between the indigenous tribes and early colonization of North America. Discrepancies between Pocahontas’s popular and historical representations inform modern understanding of encounters and exchanges between colonialists and indigenous people during the Early Colonization of North America through the treatment between both nations, tales of John Smith, and role of female bodies as well as the importance of Pocahontas’s character.
Disney’s Pocahontas and other popular sources depict the colonial setting and indigenous people from the European settler’s perspective as “not spoiled by civilization”. The story of Early Modern Colonization is told from a European perspective, unfortunately, there are no popular sources such as media that could depict the story from the indigenous perspective. The most popular depiction of indigenous nations is them being wild, although there is evidence that indigenous nations were not as wild as they were firstly depicted by explorers. Many primary such as journals from the first explorers were found. European explorers depicted encounters with indigenous people. Extracts from the diaries of one of the Virginia settlers, possibly Captain Gabriel Archer, depict the life of the settlers as well as their interaction with the native Americans:
But in presence of them both it fell out that we missing two bullett-bagges which had shott and Dyvers trucking toyes in them: we Complayned to theis kynges, who instantly caused them all to be restored, not wanting any thing. Howbeit they had Devyded the shott and toyes to (at least) a dozen seuerall persons; and those also in the llet over the water: One also having stollen a knyfe, brought it againe vpon this Comaunde before we supposed it lost, or had made made any signe for it: so Captaine Newport gaue thanckes to the Kinges and rewarded the theeves with the same toyes they had stollen, but kept the bulletes: yet he made knowne vnto them the Custome of England to be Death for such offences.
In many primary sources, indigenous people are depicted as friendly, humble, had their own rule in their community and obeyed the laws. Many European settlers also speak about the spiritual world of indigenous nations, and how peculiar it was for Europeans. Associate Curator from National Museum of the American Indian, Cecile Ganteaume thinks that the “Disney movie ironically helped. Even though it conveyed more myths, the Native American character is the star- she is the main character, and she is interesting, strong, and beautiful, and so young. Native Americans love to watch that movie. It is a real change for them”. The story of Early Modern Colonization is told from the European perspective, unfortunately, there are no popular sources such as media that could depict the story from an indigenous perspective.
Historians and media for ages had been fascinated by the romantic story between an English explorer John Smith and a native girl Pocahontas, but with time their romance took a different turn based on facts and recent research. The ideas of Pocahontas’s age and her relationship with the English man depend on the customs and ways of life in native tribes, such as the fact that they wore little or no clothing at all. There is no exact evidence concerning Pocahontas as there were no written records about her, but there are many interpretations based on primary sources and historical evidence. There is evidence from primary sources depicting the looks and clothing of the natives, many states that the natives (adults and children) wore little or no cloth at all. This can explain John Smith’s claim of him and Pocahontas being romantically involved. Now, not saying that John Smith had sexual intercourse with a child (as he depicted her being a woman, not a child), but modern sources prove Pocahontas to be around the age of 10-12 when she first meets the famous English Explorer. This proves John Smith’s claim to be a lie and crushes many fantasies, including Disney’s movie Pocahontas. Another evidence of confusion and misunderstanding of Smith’s recorded observations is indigenous peoples trying to kill him when he first arrived. John Smith wrote that Pocahontas saved his life by putting her head on top go his, preventing natives from crashing his head on a rock. Smith writes that he was traded kindly afterwards. Modern researches suggest that it was a ritual of acceptance, not an act of cruelty. Although the truth remains hidden, a lot of misunderstanding between natives and Europeans is observed.
Pocahontas remains an important character to the native community from the time of an Early Colonization Period as she also highlights the role of native women and their bodies. Life of Pocahontas involved more than one European colonialist, it also included John Smith who is believed to sexualize her image as a child, John Rolf whom she married when she was older, and many other European colonialists who captured her and raped her homeland. Unfortunately, the role of women in history was never simple and their bodies also played an important role. Not going to touch upon the violence indigenous women experienced throughout history, but it is important to note that Pocahontas was brought to England by her European husband John Rolf, gave birth to a son, and soon afterwards died from Tuberculosis. During their marriage (which is believed to be by love or at least some sort of attraction between the two), the period of approximately two years is known to be “Pocahontas Peace”. Biography.com Editors say that “Pocahontas became of symbol of Indian religious conversion, one of the stated goals of the Virginia Company. The company decided to bring Pocahontas to England as a symbol of the tamed New World.” Associate Curator from National Museum of the American Indian, Cecile Ganteaume states that all historical circumstances are important for understanding Pocahontas and her character in fictional and real history:
“Largely, the lesson is one of extraordinary strength even against very daunting odds. Pocahontas' people could not possibly have defeated or even held off the power of Renaissance Europe, which is what John Smith and the colonizers who came later represented. They had stronger technology, more powerful technology in terms of not only weapons, but shipping and book printing and compass making. All the things that made it possible for Europe to come to the New World and conquer, and the lack of which made it impossible for Native Americans to move toward the Old World and conquer. So Indians were facing extraordinarily daunting circumstances. Yet in the face of that, Pocahontas and so many others that we read about and study now showed extreme courage and cleverness, sometimes even brilliance in the strategizing that they used. So I think what will be the most important lesson is that she was braver, stronger and more interesting than the fictional Pocahontas.”
Pocahontas is a very powerful female character, and although Disney depicted the story of a native princess in a sensitive manner to her spiritual world and depth of her character, it is important to know and remember that there is definitely a lot more to Pocahontas.
The dissimilarity between the popular and historical depiction of Pocahontas’s story informs modern understanding of encounters and exchanges between colonialists and indigenous peoples during the Early Colonization Period of North America focusing on treatment between both nations, tales of John Smith, and the role of female bodies as well as the importance of Pocahontas's character in native tribes. Finally, in the 21st century, an indigenous perspective on the history of colonization is told. Focusing on the story of Pocahontas, a first nation person to be Baptized, and a peacemaker between the two nations; her story allows for another perspective for the 16th-century crime against humanity and encounter sand exchanges between the nations. Today, through popular media and sources, the honest brutality of an Early Colonialism in North American is seen more vividly. The gentle imagery of the spiritual world of indigenous people, as well as growth and development in the encounters and exchanges among the natives and Europeans, is depicted in Disney’s movie. By looking at the story of Pocahontas, a new perspective on the Early Colonization of North America and her role as a woman is seen. Indigenous nations suffered in silence for years, and brave Pocahontas has been dishonest by a sexualized interpretation of an English Explore. The story of Pocahontas shows the beginning of the relationship between the Indigenous and the Europeans, the role and importance of women. Her story cannot be forgotten or avoided as it shows the role of female bodies, religion, encounters and exchanges, and new politics and law in the New English World.
