Pocahontas is a name most people are familiar with. However, her story is different from the one we think is true. It wasn’t all roses and romance as portrayed in the movie, and explorer John Smith’s writing. Instead, the Native American woman faced many hardships in the 21 years of her life. Let’s read exactly who Pocahontas was and what happened to her.
The Famous Girl
Pocahontas is a name we’ve all heard, largely thanks to the 1995 eponymous Disney movie. The lively animated movie turned the Native American woman into one of the most popular Disney princesses of all time.
Even though the movie brought joy to everybody’s heart, the real story of the beautiful Pocahontas is much darker and more tragic than shown in the film. Let’s see who Pocahontas really was.
The Nickname
Pocahontas was born in 1596 in a Powhatan tribe, but she wasn’t born with the name Pocahontas. Her parents initially gave her the name Amonute and Pocahontas was her nickname, which she shared with her mother. The name is a Powhatan nickname meaning ‘the playful one.’
The happy child was a delight to be around, spinning cartwheels and always in a playful mood. She received another name when she became older…
The New Name
According to the Native American culture, as the kids get older, they’re supposed to get a new name. This name was supposed to reflect the personality traits that the child exhibits.
Pocahontas’s new name was Matoka. The name, in her native language, meant ‘the flower between two streams.’ This was a reference to Pocahontas’s beauty, which was growing.
The Parents
The young girl’s parents were a woman named Pocahontas and a man called Wahunsenaca, who was a Chief Powhatan.
The chief oversaw multiple other tribes and was the chief of approximately 25,000 people. He even had 30 low-level chiefs working under him. Although a lot is known about her father’s history books, only a few things are known about her mother.
The Powhatan Culture
In the Powhatan culture, the chief’s customary duty was to have multiple wives. Whenever a wife fell pregnant, she had to return to her original Powhatan tribe to wait out her pregnancy duration until giving birth. The child would only return to the chief when strong enough.
Post that, the child would live with her father and half-sibling while the mother got free reign to marry any other man. Pocahontas’s mother was never truly described post the birth of her daughter. The only thing known is that she was playful, just like her daughter.
Pocahontas Never Saved John Smith
According to John Smith’s adventure retellings, Pocahontas was responsible for saving his life, but that wasn’t the case. According to the English explorer, he was captured by a man called Opechancanough, who paraded him through every Powhatan village.
This showing ended at the village where Pocahontas’ father was the chief, where it was decided that Smith’s life was to be forfeited. But it was Pocahontas who stepped in and saved him. In reality, this is not what happened though.
Well Exaggerated Stories
When historians dove deep into the stories of John Smith, it turned out he had exaggerated quite a lot. His descriptions of New York were over the top, and people have outright dismissed his claim of having seen mermaids.
Similarly, historians have stated that the Native American Pocahontas had no real motivation to save John Smith, as she was only a child when this all happened. These stories have been deemed as a way for John Smith to sell more books.
The Mythical Relationship
Despite the famous love story between Pocahontas and John Smith, as told in the Disney movie, it’s not the true story. In reality, Pocahontas was only around 9 to 11 years old, while John Smith was 27.
Not only was the relationship not genuine, but John Smith was also no goody-goody either. His fictionalized goodness was a way for John to sell his books, but the truth was something else entirely.
