Pocahontas: The Movie That No One Asked For

A story of power, coercion, and rewriting history.

Hello everyone, and welcome to the very first post of this publication!

We’re starting off strong, as you can tell from the title, so sit back and let’s try to understand why some people are so disconnected from reality that they thought it was a good idea to whitewash one of the most brutal incidents in American history by turning it into the shallowest romance plot in the history of cinema.

Let’s start with the obvious question that’s on everyone’s mind: What the duck, Disney? How did you even think this was a good idea? What’s next, a Holocaust movie where a Jewish princess falls in love with a Nazi officer, and their love magically ends the war? I really hope I’m not giving you ideas here.

For those who haven’t seen the movie and have no idea what I’m talking about, here’s a brief introduction:

Pocahontas is a Disney animated movie for kids. It takes place during the arrival of the English in America and their subsequent colonization. In the movie, we see the English arriving in this “new world” with the goal of taking all the gold, becoming rich, and starting a life of luxury. On the other side, we meet the Native Americans, a tribe of Indigenous people who already live there, and we are introduced to Pocahontas—the chief’s daughter, a beautiful young woman who is portrayed as independent and rebellious. Her father wants her to marry Kocoum, the best warrior of the tribe, but Pocahontas has standards. She’s not shallow enough to fall for Kocoum just because he’s strong and handsome—especially since he never smiles, and that’s a dealbreaker for her.

So, what does she do? She runs into the forest to talk to a magical tree about her problems. While there, she sees the English ships approaching. And then she spots John Smith, a seasoned soldier specializing in killing Native people. Naturally, as a strong, independent woman who respects her tribe, she rushes to warn her people.

Oh, wait. No. That would actually make sense. My bad.

Instead, as a strong, independent woman who respects her tribe… she falls in love with the invader? We don’t even see how this love develops. They just lock eyes, he extends his hand, she takes it, and boom—romance. Disney, were you even trying?

Next, we see them trying to communicate. Pocahontas doesn’t speak a word of English, but since she’s apparently a fast learner, within five minutes, she starts speaking in broken English. The two of them fall in love, with the full blessing of her magic tree friend, and their relationship naturally leads to problems because, well, war. The English see the Native people as a threat and suspect John Smith of treason, while the Native people see the English as the actual threat (which they obviously are).

At some point, during a romantic meeting between Pocahontas and John Smith, Kocoum—trying to protect her—attacks Smith, only to be shot and killed by an English soldier. Smith is then blamed for Kocoum’s death and is captured by the Native tribe, set to be executed. But Pocahontas throws herself in front of him and tells her father, “No, don’t do it! I love him!” To which her father just says, “Oh, well, in that case… never mind.” And just like that, the war is over.

Smith then heroically takes a bullet to save Pocahontas’s father from an evil English officer and is sent back to England to recover, promising to return for her.

And that’s it.

This movie is already a disaster on its own—it’s shallow, has no real plot, and the characters constantly act out of character. It could have been dismissed as just another failed attempt at making a romantic kids’ movie (which, by the way, is a concept that doesn’t even make sense to begin with).

But the real problem is the horrifying truth it tries to cover up. And that’s what makes Pocahontas not just a bad movie—but an insult to history.

Now that we’ve established how ridiculous Disney’s Pocahontas is, let’s talk about what really happened—because, surprise! There was no love story.

Pocahontas, whose real name was Amonute, with Matoaka as a private name, was born around 1596 as the daughter of Chief Powhatan, leader of the Powhatan Confederacy in what is now Virginia. When she first encountered John Smith, she was about 10 or 11 years old, while he was 27. The famous tale of Pocahontas falling for him? Most likely a fabrication, with historians believing Smith made it up years later to glorify himself.

By 1613, Pocahontas was already married to a Powhatan warrior named Kocoum, and they had a child together—facts conveniently erased from mainstream retellings.

That same year, the English kidnapped her, hoping to use her as leverage against her father. During this time, her husband Kocoum was killed by the English, and her child was left behind. In captivity, she was forced to convert to Christianity, renamed Rebecca, and in 1614, she was married off to John Rolfe—a union framed as a diplomatic peace but, in reality, another act of colonial control.

In 1616, Pocahontas was taken to England as a political pawn, paraded around to show that Native people could be “civilized.” But she saw through it. According to her sister Mattachanna, Pocahontas realized she was being used and wanted to return home. She even met John Smith again and expressed her outrage over the betrayal of her people.

By 1617, she was set to return to Virginia. She was in perfect health—until, suddenly, after dining with John Rolfe and Captain Argall, she fell violently ill, vomited uncontrollably, and died within hours. She was not even 21 years old. Her family believed she was poisoned. Instead of returning her body to her people, the English buried her in Gravesend, England, far from home. Her father, Chief Powhatan, died less than a year later from grief.

But don’t worry, Disney was kind enough to try and make the English look better by creating Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, where they turned her captivity and tragic end into a fun little adventure. I’m not even going to waste my time on that nonsense.

This isn’t just a bad movie—it’s historical erasure. Pocahontas wasn’t a princess who sacrificed everything for love. She was a married woman, a mother, a kidnapped victim, stripped of her identity, forced into marriage, and paraded around as a colonial success story. And somehow, Disney decided to sell that story as a fairytale.

So, the next time someone tries to tell you Pocahontas is a beautiful love story, remind them that the truth is far from magical. It’s a story of power, coercion, and rewriting history to make colonizers look like heroes—all wrapped up in a catchy soundtrack.

---

If you made it to the end—well, thank you! Clearly, we have a lot to discuss. Drop whatever pops into your mind in the comments. If you enjoyed this, stick around for more every Wednesday. And if you really enjoyed it, share it with someone who loves stories and help grow our little corner of storytelling chaos.

And hey, If you’re into these deep dives, you can help keep the popcorn flowing on Ko-Fi! 🍿