NNAHM Day 11: I hope to spend the next two days explaining the story of Pocahontas from her family’s perspective, the native perspective. If you have fond memories of the Disney version of Pocahontas please continue to scroll down your news feed as I have a giant bubble to burst for those who are willing to listen. The life of Pocahontas was much different than our history books and favorite movies have portrayed. It was not the story of a beautiful princess daughter coming to fame and getting an amazing opportunity to explore the world. There is much to say and it will take more than one post but here are a few opening myth busters… Did you know 1) Pocahontas was only 10 years old when she met Captain John Smith, a man of 27? 2) Pocahontas never married John Smith or had any romantic relations with him 3)Pocahontas was happily married to a fellow native named Kocoum who had a child with her 4) John Smith, perceived as the English leader, was made an honorary Powhatan chief over the “English tribe” in return for peaceful relations and alliance against Spanish threats of colonization! (The ceremony used to induct him was the ceremony often mistaken for Pocahontas saving John Smith’s life). 5) Pocahontas was kidnapped for ransom, stollen from her young child and husband (who was killed by the English), and assimilated against her will 6)Before she was married to John Rolfe, Pocahontas told her sister that she had been rapped and believed she was pregnant. 7) Many say that Pocahontas died of a European disease, like TB, while in England, but oral history says she was poisoned and her body now remains buried far away from home in England. There is much more to come but if you want to hear more, I beg of you, please buy a copy of this book, “The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History”, that was written by historians in our tribe (Dr. Linwood “Little Bear” Custalow and Angela L. Daniel “Silver Star”). It is the story told from her people. This book is a page turner and I recommend it to all educators, historians, and those who are curious at heart. amazon/True-Story-Pocahontas-Other-History/dp/1555916325/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415736451&sr=1-2&keywords=the+true+story+of+pocahontas
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:08:51 +0000