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Pocahontas’ film is set around 1607 in the land of the Powhatan tribe. The film begins with John Smith and other European settlers on a boat making their way to land they would claim their own and in which they hope to find gold. When Chief Powhatan tells Pocahontas, the main character of the film, about her marriage arrangement, Pocahontas runs off to the woods to gain insight on her purpose and her future. It is on this stroll that Pocahontas witnesses the arrival of the Europeans and encounters John Smith, her love interest. Pocahontas and John Smith become familiar with each other as the Europeans and American Indians fight with each other. During their time together, Kocoum catches them hidden away and runs after John Smith. One of the settlers sees Kocoum and John Smith struggle and ends up shooting Kocoum. When Kocoum dies, the American Indians catches John Smith and holds him hostage. The day the Chief decides to kill John Smith as punishment for ‘killing’ Kocoum, Pocahontas lays her head on top of his to declare her choice in peace. Because of her wise move, the Chief lets John go and states that he would never be the first to cause a war. When John is let go, the head of the European settlers, Governor Ratliffe locks his gun out of anger and points the barrel towards the Chief. As he shoots, John steps in front of the Chief and takes the bullet himself. This action of love and understanding leads the Powhatan tribe to open their hearts up to John. In anger, the settlers team up against the head of the European settlers because they too understood that the Powhatans let John Smith go. As the movie comes to a close, Pocahontas lets John know that she is needed at home with her people while he should go back to Europe and fulfill his duty there.

The American animated film is a fictionalized account of Pocahontas and her historical encounter with John Smith and the European settlers. The historic period being depicted is around 1607 and close to detail. Because the film is recognized as a Disney movie, John Smith and Pocahontas is destined to fall in love. However, historically and in true accounts, the two were not romantically involved since Pocahontas was ten years old when she met John Smith, a 27-year-old mercenary. During this period, settlers do use derogatory terms such as “savage” to describe the American Indians. Kocoum was also a true warrior that the Chief of the tribe, Pocahontas’ father, admired. What wasn’t depicted accurately was that Kocoum was actually Pocahontas’ husband. Historically, a group of settlers attacked Kocoum at his home and killed him after they kidnapped Pocahontas. John Smith also wasn’t this kind, infatuated man in real life. He actually went through native villages and rob them of food and resources. At the end of the day, Pocahontas also never actually saved John Smith.


Movies always diverge form history, from their true accounts. If we only had the cinematic representation from Pocahontas of American Indians from which to construct history, only approximately 5% of the history constructed would be accurate. Pocahontas has long been considered in popular culture as an exotic princess, but she was more than that. She was a daughter of an American Indian chief who cared about more things in life than her love interests.

Through a representation of the character, Pocahontas, we would see that women who are not of a White-American descent are sexual objects and nothing more. Visually, she differs from the rest of the Powhatan Indians within the movie which subjects her to sexualization and white bias. The movie also constructs the idea that any non-White woman would be quick to fall in love with a White man and be even quicker to die for them.

Based on Pocahontas, we would see American Indians as those who are merely exotic, tribal and are in tune with spiritual powers. The Eurocentric view would portray American Indians as an “ignorant savage”, as the film calls it. American Indians would be portrayed as people who are quick-tempered and slow to forgive. According to Newsmaven, there were 113 examples of violent racism against American Indians within this film.

American Indians, also known as Native Americans, have endured centuries of struggle. Some tribes barely survive, and most tribes have gone extinct. Some are found in reservations and some are required to take a test to claim their birthright. It is unfortunate that films like Pocahontas romanticize historical figures and accounts and provide unreasonable and inaccurate representations of American Indians.


All we can hope for is that in the future when movies like this are made, directors and producers make an effort to learn the importance of staying as true and as accurate when representing American Indians as they are.

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