Disney’s animated historical film, ‘Pocahontas’, first released in 1995 is a beloved classic for many, yet, its problematic representation of marginalised people and whitewashing of colonial violence has left it feeling noticeably regressive. Set in 1607, ‘Pocahontas’ follows the converging stories of Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan, and Captain John Smith, an English settler, in the English colony of Virginia. Disney presents a powerful romance that blossoms despite the cultural barriers both of them face as they disobey their respective communities’ wishes and share a kiss. Although, the heartwarming storyline of ‘Pocahontas’ is a far cry from the brutal realities of colonisation.
From the 1600s English colonial expansion in Virginia left indigenous girls vulnerable to sexual assaults by white colonists. For example, Pocahontas was no more than 10 when she met John Rolfe, the character John Smith is modelled on, and their marriage was closer to kidnapping as she was taken against her will to England. Indeed, the story of Matoaka (Pocahontas) is the story of a young girl kidnapped, raped, and allegedly murdered by white colonists who used her as a political symbol of peace – when in reality her story was an example of the atrocities committed by white settlers against Indigenous peoples. In fact, Matoaka had not even turned 21 when she died and despite her family requesting her body be laid to rest in her tribe, John Rolfe buried her in St George’s church, Gravesend, England where she remains.
It is not necessary for entertainment conglomerates to whitewash history to create successful historical films, while minor historical inaccuracies pose no threat, presenting a wholly inaccurate narrative is harmful to mass understanding of historical atrocities, such as colonisation.
Ultimately, Pocahontas serves as an example of poorly executed corporate inclusivity, presenting a largely fictitious and romanticised version of Native American history thereby sugarcoating the trauma Indigenous peoples faced through colonisation.
Photo credit: Moviedb and JSTOR