Pocahontas &

Stereotypes
INTRODUCTION
Section 1
As a little girl, my world was full of Disney. I watched every princess film
a million times, but one I did not pay much attention to is the animated
movie Pocahontas presented by Disney. Pocahontas focuses majorly on
the romance between Pocahontas herself and John Smith. The grander
topic lacks attention. The film addresses (not well) colonialism on Native
peoples of Canada and follows a young "Indian Princess". As the only
Disney movie based on the story of a real woman named Matoaka, we
witness the wrong implications for both groups and their effects on
modern society. Through learning about the First Peoples of Canada, I
understand how inaccurate, offensive, and unauthentic the movie is. The
film displays many stereotypes and includes breaking at least one.
Stereotypes regarding Indigenous culture, beliefs, traditions,
characteristics, behavior and perception of women are the most
significant.
Mataoka’s true
history
The real Pocahontas
 Mataoka is the "daughter of Tidewater Virginia's legendary chief Powhatan"
(Cornel Pewewardy, 1996/97). Her name Pocahontas derives from her childhood
nickname translating to "the naughty one" or "spoiled child". Mataoka was
born in 1595, and in her early adolescence (between ages 10-13), she married a
man from her tribe. At 18 years, she was in captivity after being lured upon a
British ship for a year, baptized into Christianity, and married British colonist
John Rolfe around 1615. Together the pair had a son and boarded a ship to meet
the Queen and King; "In 1616, as part of a plan to revive the Virginia Colony,
the couple traveled to England with their infant son." On their voyage home,
Pocahontas dies "...perhaps because of smallpox, perhaps because of the foul
English weather" (Pewewardy, 1999), it seems the reason remains unknown. At
this stage of her life, her name had been Rebecca Rolfe, a British name. Unlike
in the movie, where the romance between Pocahontas and John Smith is the
main plot, "historians agree that Pocahontas and John Smith had no romantic
contact" (Pewewardy, 1999).
 The plot in the film Pocahontas differs from history as their son is absent
throughout the film, but there are added events and mystical characters.
The movie follows Pocahontas as she falls in love with a British man,
John Smith, disobeying her father and contradicting to cultural norms of
the time. During that period, tribal members would obey all orders of
The film their leaders. Understandably, for the sake of the young audience
creating a more cartoon-like and relatable movie deems acceptable.
storyline Portrayals of Pocahontas and her Nation, and the change in events, add
to continuing stereotypes and misunderstandings in Canada. At the end
of the movie, Pocahontas remains alive and well and instead of following
John home, stays with her people claiming she feels a sense of duty for
her people. This choice symbolizes her holistic view and choice of family
over a romantic love interest, and in a way breaks the idea that all happy
endings were a result of romantic love. On the other hand, this can be
viewed as though interracial love stories aren't as successful or meant to
be together. 
 CULTURAL
STEREOTYPES ABOUT
THE INDIGENOUS
 • In the film, Pocahontas is dressed stereotypically and instills a visual representation of the group of
Indigenous people. Pocahontas's necklace symbolizes the Powhatan's connection to Nature. Children
who often do not catch the specific details or understand the distinctions between different Nations
grow up with the idea that all Indigenous women clothe with the Powhatan necklace and a one-
shouldered dress with a belted waist. At the time, this outfit would not have been accurate. Today, a
costume for children to dress as Pocahontas is available. Children interpret the clothing of the
Powhatan and Indigenous peoples as something they can dress up as, unknowingly insulting many
people. Imagine if someone dressed like a "Punjab person", or dressed up as a "German person" for
Halloween - would you not feel uncomfortable or surprised by the stereotypical dressing that is
associated with your race? Surely the outfits are not accurate representations of how you all dress,
every day, every moment. In this way, the movie Pocahontas is a model of cultural appropriation. 
• The Indigenous are known to be believers of spirits and having an otherworldly connection to nature -
however, this does not represent all Indigenous people. In the movie we see Pocahontas share her
closeness to the wilderness with John. The use of magic wind and a talking tree add to the whimsical
viewpoint on Indigenous culture, and for some can be seen as offensive and a sort of mockery. This
magical sense is truly represented through the main song “Colors of the Wind”. Talking animals in the
movie are not as targeted due to almost all of the Disney movies including animals that could
communicate in some sort with the lead. 
RACIAL STEREOTYPES
ON THE INDIGENOUS
• Throughout the movie, a subplot following the controversies between the Powhatan people and the
British settlers is shown. Both sides are represented negatively with few exceptions. As a whole, the
Powhatan people are described as " "savages," "heathens," "pagans," and "devils," while the British
describe themselves as "primitive," and "civilized." (Cornel Pewewardy, 1996/97). This insinuates that
the Powhatan people were inferior and wild, leaving a stereotypical idea of Pocahontas's people.
Pocahontas being the protagonist of the story was the only one not subjected to those stereotypes,
“While Pocahontas herself may have been portrayed as the only sensible character in the film, the rest
of her tribe suffered the fate of being depicted as both the victims and perpetrators in the story”
(Gama-Rivas). This is supported by her actions of learning the European culture and stopping her
tribe from attacking by laying her head over her beloved John. 
• Pocahontas is the character that single-handedly is able to stop the war and make thousands of her
people back down from attacking the British. In this sense, she is designed as “the only character that
seems to be rational and reasonable” (Gama-Rivas). Although for some, her character serves as a true
inspiration, and as her father had stated, “she comes with courage and understanding” (Gama-Rivas),
the rest of her tribe is subject to the title “Savages”. A few examples where Disney establishes this
characteristic is when Kokuum (Pocahontas’s arranged marriage partner), attacks John when seeing
Pocahontas with him. Another time is during the extremely chilling song “Savages, Savages” where
both the settlers and the Indigenous peoples were preparing for battle. The Powhatan people were seen
as fueled by anger and “grow hateful and aggressive as tensions rise with the English settlers” (Gama-
Rivas).
POCAHONTAS AND
GENDER
STEREOTYPES
• In the first scene of the film Pocahontas appears "as a young woman who possesses great beauty
and grace. She has a Barbie doll body - tall, with long, muscular legs and arms, huge breasts, a
tiny waist, a long neck" and "long flowing black hair, dark skin, high cheekbones, big black eyes,
a full mouth, and an ethnic nose - not the button nose of Snow White or Cinderella" (Aidman,
1999). This portrayal of another Disney character reinforces the unhealthy body standards set for
girls. Young women and girls fall prey to the standards and experience low self-esteem and serious
illnesses. 
• Just as she reinforces standards of characteristics for girls, she defies feminine stereotypes with
her strength and independence. We perceive Pocahontas as spontaneous, defiant, and a little
reckless from her dive off the cliff to her bond and confidence in nature. She is no helpless
princess. Unlike most Disney Princesses, Pocahontas can break the stereotypes by providing us
with a dominant female lead. 
• An example of how Pocahontas embodies attractive and more sensual feminine qualities is
indicated through her clothing, "The type of dress worn by the Disney Pocahontas would have
been very sexist during her time in history" (Pewewardy, 1999).
CONCLUSION
• Pocahontas is a well-known Disney film with good intentions but bad implications. In
hopes to share an important story of Matoaka, we see how different explanations and
changes in history can completely affect one’s perspective and shape cultural and
gender stereotypes. With the intent of supporting feminism through Pocahontas’s
character the movie unconsciously establishes negative body standards. By making
Pocahontas the only sensible character, they left room for creating a bad
representation of the Powhatan people and confirming their label of “savages”. The
disturbing language and tone in the song “Savages, Savages” displaying cruelty from
both sides lead to negative understanding – especially among children. Although the
directors showed how the British settlers colonized and hurt the Native people, they
were not able to break stereotypes surrounding the Powhatan people until the very
end where Pocahontas single-handedly changes their minds and creates peace. For
some, the film serves as inspiration, for others an offensive piece of content that
reinforces harmful and inaccurate stereotypical ideologies.
REFERENCES
References
Aidman, A. (1999). Disney's "Pocahontas": Conversations with Native
American. 7-8.
Cornel Pewewardy, P. (1996/97). The Pocahontas Paradox:. A Cautionary
Tale for Educators.
Gama-Rivas, R. (n.d.). Pocahontas, Disney’s Well-Intentioned Stain: A Film
Review. 2-3.
Pewewardy, C. (1999). American Indian Stereotypes in the World of
Children. Why One Can't Ignore Pocahontas, 171 - 174.