Pride in Pocahontas

Statue of Pocahontas in Gloucester, Virginia by artist Adolf Sehring (1994)

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Introduction by Rick Tatnall, Founder of The Pocahontas Project

The initial inspiration for the concept of The Pocahontas Project (TPP) came from a trip to England in March 2017 to help the community of Gravesend commemorate the 400th anniversary of the funeral of Rebecca Rolfe, aka Pocahontas, at St. George’s Church in Gravesend on March 21, 1617. I led one of three delegations of Virginians who made the trip including students, teachers and the Chiefs of three of Virginia’s Indian Tribes. The British are excellent at pomp & circumstance and there were plenty of both. More importantly, there was a deep sense of pride throughout that was powerfully evident; obvious pride in both the Virginia Indian Tribes and especially in the power of the story of the woman most famously known as Pocahontas.

Gravesend’s Pocahontas 400 commemoration video
(2017 – 13.5 minutes)

Rappahannock Chief Anne Richardson, Chickahominy Chief Stephen Adkins, and Upper Mattaponi Chief Emeritus Kenneth Adams with the Mayor of Gravesend in front of the Pocahontas Statue at St. George's Church, where she is buried.

Through her voyage to England with her husband John Rolfe and son Thomas, I believe Pocahontas single-handedly changed the future course of world history - she convinced the investors of the Virginia Company to continue on with their efforts in the “New World”; laying the foundation for the thirteen colonies and ultimately the United States of America. Through this foundational impact on the development of our country, I think Pocahontas has earned the title of Founding Mother of America, of equal importance to the nation’s existence as the many Founding Fathers.

While certainly unintentional on her part, I concede that Pocahontas’ influence on the Virginia Company helped to set sail centuries of British colonization around the globe, with devastating and long-lasting implications for Native, Indigenous, and First Nations peoples. I am keenly aware of the fight for survival Pocahontas and her people faced starting in 1607, and how Pocahontas became a victim herself when she was abducted by the English in 1613, leaving behind her husband Kocoum and quite possibly her daughter Ka-Okee. I am also aware of the "True story of Pocahontas" from the oral history of the Mattaponi offered by author Dr. Linwood Custalow, and I do not discount the many dark possibilities, including that Pocahontas’s son Thomas was the result of rape and that Pocahontas was murdered to prevent her from returning to her people.

Pocahontas saves Captain John Smith,

a relief sculpture in the frieze of the US Capitol Rotunda, by artist Constantino Brumudi (1863)

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Side view of the Pocahontas statue at Jamestown Island, Virginia

by artist William Ordway Partridge (1913)

Despite all this chaos during her very short life I believe Pocahontas was welcoming to the English, compassionate in their time of need, and looked to create positive cultural connections between the Powhatan Indians and the English. For these reasons and more, TPP presents Pocahontas as an historic icon - a patron of peace and cross-cultural understanding - at a time when the world desperately needs lots more of both.

For the past 400 years American and English culture has shown great pride in the woman born Matoaka and known as Pocahontas. I also have developed great pride in the historical example of Pocahontas and believe the complexity of her story can inspire people of all ages, especially our youth, across America and around the world.

The Pocahontas Project is focused on using the positive power of this collective pride in the life, legend and legacy of Pocahontas to once again change the future course of world history. In an effort to spread the wealth of knowledge I have gained, this website offers a curated set of information resources about the woman most famously known as Pocahontas, as well as her father Powhatan, and the Virginia Indian tribes. Please enjoy and share with others.

Rick Tatnall

Pocahontas: Her Life, Legend, and Legacy

Pocahontas: Her Life, Legend, and Legacy was a half-day symposium held at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) on November 14, 2018 with the intention of telling the story of Pocahontas from the English and Native American perspectives. Tribal leaders as well as distinguished national and international speakers led discussions on what Pocahontas has come to represent as a cross-cultural ambassador, the role of religion and faith in her story, and the myths and realities that surround her.

Here is how the speakers were described by the VMHC in the Symposium program.