Page 51 - All About History - Issue 53-17

How a Native American woman became one of the

wonders of Jacobean England

Written by Frances White

ocahontas is a name that almost all these different tribes of the Tidewater region curious and adventurous child, with little fear
everyone in the Western world is of modern-day Virginia. We know little about of danger. Her playful, inquisitive nature earned
familiar with. She conjures up images Pocahontas’ mother, and it is likely she died in her the nickname ‘Pocahontas’, which means
of a mysterious and beautiful Native childbirth. As the chief’s children would usually ‘little wanton’ or ‘playful one.’ Wanton or not, the
American, a symbol of enduring love live with their mother until they weaned, if this is frolicsome child became a quick favourite of her
beyond racial boundaries with a bittersweet true Pocahontas would have stayed with her father father, who had a hoard of children, calling her his
ending. Today this myth has been encouraged by from birth, which certainly explains how she “delight and darling.”
the Disney production which bears her name, but quickly became his favourite. The English first arrived in Virginia in April
this is not a modern phenomenon. Romanticised Girls, even the chief’s daughter, were taught 1607. Their encounters with the natives had
images and portrayals of the Powhatan chief’s women’s work from an early age. This was very varied from friendly to hostile but in December
daughter occurred almost immediately after her different from the European definition, because in of that year everything came to a head when
early death. Pocahontas became the poster child addition to rearing children, women would build John Smith, one of the leaders of the settlers,
for the civilised savage, a Juliet figure in tales of houses and do all the farming, they collected was captured by a hunting party led by one of
star-crossed lovers, she appeared on stamps, in firewood, made baskets and collected edible Wahunsenacawh’s brothers. The English explorer
songs and ballets. Her tale was told, changed and plants in the wilderness. Pocahontas would have was taken to Werowocomoco, the capital of the
adapted until only remnants of truth remained. learned all these skills, but what we also know is Powhatan empire. What occurred after this point
The story itself became separate from the actual that from an early age she stood out. She had a is up for some debate. Smith himself claimed that
woman, the one who lived, breathed, loved and tendency to wander off, she was an immensely as he was brought before the chief two large stones
died. Pocahontas’ true thoughts and feelings are
not recorded for history to study, so in order to The English attempted to ‘crown’
Wahunsenacawh as an English vassal
understand the woman who inspired so many, we but he refused to kneel
are required to look back on her life, and the true
history behind the myth.
Born circa 1596, Pocahontas was not her birth
name, instead the child was named Amonute. She
was also called Matoaka by those closest to her,
meaning ‘bright stream between the hills.’ She was
born to a nameless woman, likely a commoner,
and Wahunsenacawh, paramount chief of the
Powhatan chiefdom. This empire comprised of
around 30 different tribes, all with their own
chiefs. Wahunsenacawh, as the paramount chief,
was expected to keep unity and peace between

o John Smith h created the first
mmap of the Chesapeake
R gRegion, pub blished in 1612

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