The collision between two nations in Pocahontas

“She never spoke of herself, she never represented her emotions, presence or history.” –
Edward Said (Bell, 1994:62)

I. Little is known about the prominent figure who was representative of the Indians, and
who brought friendly relations with white settlers;because of her inexhaustible struggles of
living in agreement during lifetime she made significant changes in history, she played the role
of the ambassador of peace between colonizers and Indians, all we know about her nowadays is
written by others;. However, the clash that occurred between the Native Americans and the
British Empire in the story of Pocahontas at the beginning of 17th century emerged centuries
later by making Pocahontas the Mother symbol of a new bloodline in the modern America(Bell,
1994:68). In Disney’s animated films Pocahontas is pictured as the turning point in history which
held together Anglo euro-colonialism at the time where it starts to unravel. (Buescher and Ono,
1996:129)
II. The legend of the famous Indian damsel
Pocahontas’s birth date is unconcluded, some historiographers approximate it around
1596, she was called by several different names, her birth name was Matoaka which connotation
is “flower between two streams”, she was known by Amonute and her soubriquet was
Pocahontas, which significance was “the playful one”. Matoaka was the daughter of the most
powerful leader in Tidewater Virginia, Chief Powhatan known too as Wahunsenaca, she was the
last child of Chief Powhatan, her mother was Wahunsenaca wife of free will and of love. In Oral
History is said that the Native American princess was raised by her aunts and cousins, beyond all
doubt Pocahontas was his dearest daughter of them all. (Nps.gov, 2016)

The event that changed Pocahontas’ life and propelled her as becoming an immortal
symbol of wisdom and kindness was her first encounter and saving mission of Captain John
Smith. Pocahontas saw potential in Smith humanity and as a child did not hesitated to save his
life; according to Disney’s production of the story, which got reinterpreted, the relation
established between Captain John Smith and Pocahontas was one of almost prohibited love.
(Pocahontas, 1995)
As National Park Service speculates, between Smith and the Indian princess never was a
romantic connection, though one of friendship and mutual help, but I consider that somewhere
along the way Smith and young Matoaka may have experienced some contradictory feelings of
romantic nature, Pocahontas after her coming of age ritual she met and married Kocoum, he was
one of the most exquisite soldiers. Around 1613 the English planned to abduct Pocahontas in
order to make Chief Powhatan surrender and pay ransom for his beloved daughter, with the
promise that after Powhatan complies to what they are demanding his daughter will be set free,
but the English did not honoured their agreement. While imprisoned Pocahontas for the sake of
her people she succumbed and got cooperative learning English, religious beliefs, leaving behind
her idolatrous beliefs and converting to Christianity, receiving the biblical name of Rebecca.
(2016)
I believe that maybe the most far-sighted decision Pocahontas ever made was to marry
John Rolfe, doing so a commencement between Rolfe and Natives regarding tobacco trading was
formed, this way Pocahontas represented the bridge between her two worlds or natures; as
National Park Service indicates, between 1616-1617 the Rolfe family made a trip to England,
were Pocahontas had the occasion to speak up about her people and to arouse English curiosity
about Jamestown, as the Indian Princess, daughter of King Powhatan and as part of the civilized
society of England, Lady Rebecca Rolfe. While returning to Virginia, Pocahontas got ill and
died, she was buried at Gravesend. (2016)
III. Pocahontas was considered as something of a maverick
It is known that Pocahontas resembled quite much with her mother, which was the
embodiment of wisdom, after she passed away this virtue was transmitted to her daughter,
Matoaka inherited her mother’s connection with the wind, in every touch of the wind she felt her
mother closer and speaking to her. (The New World, 2005)
Both in the animated film Pocahontas from Disney and in the production of The New
World the legendary Pocahontas is depicted as a playful and intelligent young lady which acts
only driven by the wind and by what her heart is telling her. The history of Pocahontas is
misinterpreted because indeed she is a symbol for strength and determination also a inspiration
for women all over the world but in Disney’s film which is addressed to little girls she is
represented as untouchable, all-knowing and fearless young woman, thing that will develop in
the young audience hearts that they can achieve everything by having faith, even getting in the
middle of a war like Pocahontas did; meanwhile in The New World production Pocahontas is
presented as a young girl which defies age and engages herself into a romantic relation with John
Smith action which it is not recorded nowhere in written history. Both productions slightly
encourage children to defy their parents, their communities and to follow their hearts even if
might lead them into a dangerous situation.
Pocahontas was one of a kind for those times and for present days, what she did
regarding that her decisions put her in unimaginable position where she might ended up dead and
only for the love of her fellows, either Natives or English.

IV. Two opposed cultures came in contact and their different approaches in terms of peace
The Virginia Tidewater was under Powhatan’s Algonquian speaking natives for over
three hundred years by the time the British conquistadors arrived through those eastern parts of
Virginia. (Bell, 1994:65)
A. The Native Americans tribes were organized under the Powhatan Chiefdom, their
ways of life were simple for someone considered savage by the English colonizers, in
order to provide for their needs, they were sowing corn, hunting and raising animals.
Opposed to the English manner of a civilized cohabitation, Chief Powhatan saw an
opportunity from whom everyone could benefit by exchange of goods and trading,
Powhatan had the advantage of being the leader of the most powerful chiefdom along
Tidewater Virginia, he used his wisdom not his power in approaching the settlers.
(Pocahontas, 1995)
B. The English settlers’ perception of how peace should be made with the Natives
was not by making peace with them, but to decimate everyone and to conquer all the land
in the name of King James I. The rush of being the only inhabitants was driven by the
urge of finding gold in a land there was no glimpse of such a precious metal.(Pocahontas,
1995)
The relationship between Natives and English was far from being friendly but in
times of needlike in the winter season the Natives showed more mercy than the civilized
ones did at their turnby providing them food and blankets. (Pocahontas, 1995)
V. The Baptism of Pocahontas
According to the National Park Service Oral History about the Indian princess,
Pocahontas after she was abducted by the English, for the sake of her people she complied to
everything they taught her, and by using manipulation on her in order to think that Chief
Powhatan won’t pay the ransom for his favourite daughter, Pocahontas accepted the lessons she
was taught, starting with teaching English language, religious beliefs and in the end pursuing her
transformation by baptizing and renaming her Rebecca. (Nps.gov, 2016)
After embracing her new faith in Jesus Christ and becoming Rebecca, as a result of her
kidnapping and manipulation she was submitted to her maverick nature suffered some changes,
from the playful and relentless girl she started to be more serious, her smile faded and her face
looked like she just stopped from a crying session.(The New World, 2005)
A. The symbolic meaning of Pocahontas’s Christian name
In the Bible there was a woman named Rebecca of the Book of Genesis. She had two
sons and was the mother of two nations. Some believe this name was symbolic for Pocahontas
because of her involvement with both the Natives and the English. Howard A. Snyder speculates
that the reverend Alexander Whitaker may have encouraged Pocahontas to choose this name due
to its strong resemblance with Rebecca and Pocahontas’s life stories. Rebecca gave birth to two
sons, the first baby who was born was Esau, he was reddish, while the second baby was Jacob, at
birth he hold tight his older brother’s heel; I consider that the person of the Indian princess
Pocahontas and her new reality, Lady Rebecca are representative for the population of the
Powhatan Chiefdom who were settled there for over three hundred years and the newly arrived,
the conquerors in the name of King James I. (Snyder, 2015:96)

“The old conflict between her loyalties was still there, but more and more she came to see the virtues of the
strange people. She had always believed that the Powhatans and the English could live in harmony. They had much
to give each other. In fact, she thought suddenly, that is exactly what I am doing, providing first one then the other
with the products of each culture. “(Bell, 1994:69)

VI. Pocahontas phenomena it is way bigger and far more important than just to stop at the
beautiful coloured Disney productions, centuries have passed since she was alive, but her life
story continues to captivate and remind everyone that at the weaker beginning of what today is
known as America and divided United States of America a girl fought for acceptance and living
in harmony.
“[S]he is represented as a historical and cultural cipher, a blank page receiving only the imprint of written
words. Her identities as Pocahontas and Lady Rebecca, her experiences as Indian diplomat and Christian convert, do
not provide her with a personal history necessary for the deciphering of either or both the Indian or white worlds.”
(Bell, 1994:65)
 Pocahontas maverick consisted from the very beginning from her name, in various
translations Pocahontas meant “Bright Stream Between Two Hills”, the two hills are her two
natures, the two worlds she had to live and bring peace altogether The British Empire settlers and
The Native American Indians she brought light everywhere she entered because she had a pure
soul driven by the desire of fondness and unity.(Bell, 1994:67)

Reference list
Bell, B.L. (1994). Pocahontas: “Little Mischief” and the “Dirty Men.” Studies in American Indian
Literatures, [online] 6(1), pp.63–70. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20736782?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents [Accessed 28 May
2019].

Buescher, D.T. and Ono, K.A. (1996). Civilized Colonialism:Pocahontasas Neocolonial Rhetoric.
Women’s Studies in Communication, 19(2), pp.127–153.

Nps.gov. (2016). Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend - Historic Jamestown Part of Colonial National
Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service). [online] Available at:
https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/pocahontas-her-life-and-legend.htm.

Pocahontas. (1995). Directed by M. Gabriel. and Directed by E. Goldberg. Buena Vista Pictures.

Snyder, H.A. (2015). Jesus and pocahontas : Gospel, mission, and national myth. Cambridge, Uk:
Lutterworth Press

The New World. (2005). Directed by T. Malick. New Line Cinema.

Buzila Roxana-Alexandra
LL, EN-RO, an II, sem II