Links to articles on the 1995 Disney film, Pocahontas
But first, a video commentary by Lindsay Ellis, called "Pocahontas Was a Mistake, and Here's Why!"
I just recently (Mar. 2019) stumbled on this 2017 video commentary on Disney's Pocahontas and Moana. Lindsay Ellis (channel link) is a pleasant speaker, and she's put together a very professional video of clips and critique that is sometimes insightful. Not surprisingly, she's pretty negative about Pocahontas, because that movie, made 24 years ago, will always be fair game for its portrayal of an indigenous heroine. I don't have the perfect place to embed this video, but I'll put it here for now. Her set-up is a little lengthy, so once you get the joke, feel free to skip to about the 1:45 minute mark, where the real commentary begins.
I just recently (Mar. 2019) stumbled on this 2017 video commentary on Disney's Pocahontas and Moana. Lindsay Ellis (channel link) is a pleasant speaker, and she's put together a very professional video of clips and critique that is sometimes insightful. Not surprisingly, she's pretty negative about Pocahontas, because that movie, made 24 years ago, will always be fair game for its portrayal of an indigenous heroine. I don't have the perfect place to embed this video, but I'll put it here for now. Her set-up is a little lengthy, so once you get the joke, feel free to skip to about the 1:45 minute mark, where the real commentary begins.
Links to Articles
Pocahontas: An Exercise in Mythmaking and Marketing
by Frederic Gleach (2006)
Frederic Gleach wrote the book Powhatan's World and Colonial Virginia (1997), a history of the Powhatan Indians that is an alternative to the Helen Rountree treatments. In the article linked here, he discusses Disney's take on Pocahontas and puts the film in context with other Pocahontas myths that have appeared over the centuries.
by Frederic Gleach (2006)
Frederic Gleach wrote the book Powhatan's World and Colonial Virginia (1997), a history of the Powhatan Indians that is an alternative to the Helen Rountree treatments. In the article linked here, he discusses Disney's take on Pocahontas and puts the film in context with other Pocahontas myths that have appeared over the centuries.
Pocahontas remake would be too ‘offensive’, claims Disney composer
by Madhu Chitgopker, Metro, May 21, 2019
by Madhu Chitgopker, Metro, May 21, 2019
Does Disney's Pocahontas Do More Harm Than Good? Your Thoughts (The Atlantic)
by Chris Bodenner (Jun 30, 2015)
by Chris Bodenner (Jun 30, 2015)
Pocahontas Legend Hides Unromantic Realities : Cultures: Disney tale reflects current values more than historical truths, experts say.
by Los Angeles Times / Religion News Service (June 24, 1995)
by Los Angeles Times / Religion News Service (June 24, 1995)
`Pocahontas' Said to Belie Oral History
by Roanoke Times, Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
by Roanoke Times, Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
A Great Spirit - Shirley Custalow-McGowan, Pocahontas Consultant, Spends Her Time, Money To Educate People About American Indians
by David Nicholson, Newport News Daily Press, June 24, 1995
by David Nicholson, Newport News Daily Press, June 24, 1995
Reservations about Films: Disney's Pocahontas
by Cindy Dunne and Jordan Kolinski, Lakota Children's Enrichment (LCE), Sept. 11, 2015
by Cindy Dunne and Jordan Kolinski, Lakota Children's Enrichment (LCE), Sept. 11, 2015
Maidens of Hollywood : 'Pocahontas' is the pure expression of filmmakers' fantasies about Indian women.
by Angela Aleiss, L.A. Times, June 24, 1995
by Angela Aleiss, L.A. Times, June 24, 1995
Disney gives Pocahontas sexiest cartoon image ever
by Deborah Bradley, Dallas Morning News, reprinted in The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, VA. June 23, 1995
by Deborah Bradley, Dallas Morning News, reprinted in The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, VA. June 23, 1995
Thoughtful `Pocahontas' A Surprisingly Mature Film - Gene Siskel Review
by Gene Siskel, articles.chicagotribune.com; June 16, 1995
by Gene Siskel, articles.chicagotribune.com; June 16, 1995
A Lukewarm Indian Summer - Desson Howe Review
by Desson Howe, Washington Post Staff Writer, June 23, 1995 .
by Desson Howe, Washington Post Staff Writer, June 23, 1995 .
Emerson Goes to the Movies: Individualism in Walt Disney Company's Post-1989 Animated Films - 'Pocahontas' Chapter 5
Quotes from and comments on the 2014 Justyna Fruzińska book
Quotes from and comments on the 2014 Justyna Fruzińska book
Interviews with Voice Actors, especially Irene Bedard & Russell Means
An Interview with Pocahontas – Actress Irene Bedard reflects on voicing Disney’s strongest female character
by Renata Joy, Interview conducted May 11, 2005, UltimateDisney.com
by Renata Joy, Interview conducted May 11, 2005, UltimateDisney.com
The Angriest Actor : Native American activist Russell Means focused his fierce will at Wounded Knee. Can a revolutionary co-exist with 'Pocahontas'?
by Elaine Dutka, L.A. Times staff writer, June 11, 1995
by Elaine Dutka, L.A. Times staff writer, June 11, 1995
Links to Journal / Academic Articles (in random order for now ...)
Disney’s modern heroine Pocahontas: revealing age-old gender stereotypes and role discontinuity under a facade of liberation (PDF)
by Lauren Dundes, The Social Science Journal 38 (2001) 353–365
Distorted Reality: The Devaluation of Pocahontas (PDF)
by Kara Nelson, English 351 Spring 2014, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, HOHONU 2014 Vol. 12
Pocahontas: Problematizing the Pro-Social (PDF)
by Amy Aidman and Debbie Reese (1996) Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communications Association (46th, Chicago, IL, May 23-27, 1996)
Disney's "Pocahontas": Conversations with Native American and Euro-American Girls (PDF)
by Amy Aidman (1999) Paper presented at the International Communication Association Conference (San Francisco, CA, May 27-31, 1999)
National Identity (Re)Construction in Japanese and American Animated Film: Self and Other Representation in Pocahontas and Princess Mononoke (HTML)
by Kaori Yoshida electronic journal of contemporary japanese studies Article 5 in 2011 First published in ejcjs on 30 September 2011
Pocahontas reclaimed: the Powhatans' theatrical rebuttal to Disney's revisionist myth (PDF)
by Barbara E. Gardner (July 16, 2003) Rowan University, Rowan Digital Works
Redesgning Pocahontas (Word Doc)
by Gary Edgerton and Kathy Merlock Jackson (1996), Journal of Popular Film & Television, Summer 96, Vol. 24 Issue 2, p90
Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses (PDF)
by Dawn Elizabeth England, Lara Descartes, Melissa A. Collier-Meek; Sex Roles (2011) 64:555–567
Using Critical Race Theory to Analyze How Disney Constructs Diversity: A Construct for the Baccalaureate Human Behavior in the Social Environment Curriculum (HTML)
by Amy Cappiccie, Janice Chadha, Muh Bi Lin, Frank Snyder, Journal of Teaching in Social Work, Volume 32, 2012 - Issue 1
Cultural representations in Walt Disney films: Implications for social work education (PDF)
by Katherine van Wormer, Cindy Juby, Journal of Social Work 0(0) 1–17, 2015
Disney in Korea: A Socio-Cultural Context of Children’s Popular Culture
by Lena Lee, Red Feather Journal 2010
“Frozen in Time”: The Impact of Native American Media Representations on Identity and Self-Understanding (PDF)
by Peter A. Leavitt, Rebecca Covarrubias, Yvonne A. Perez, Stephanie A. Fryberg, Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 71, No. 1, 2015
Disney’s modern heroine Pocahontas: revealing age-old gender stereotypes and role discontinuity under a facade of liberation (PDF)
by Lauren Dundes, The Social Science Journal 38 (2001) 353–365
Distorted Reality: The Devaluation of Pocahontas (PDF)
by Kara Nelson, English 351 Spring 2014, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, HOHONU 2014 Vol. 12
Pocahontas: Problematizing the Pro-Social (PDF)
by Amy Aidman and Debbie Reese (1996) Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communications Association (46th, Chicago, IL, May 23-27, 1996)
Disney's "Pocahontas": Conversations with Native American and Euro-American Girls (PDF)
by Amy Aidman (1999) Paper presented at the International Communication Association Conference (San Francisco, CA, May 27-31, 1999)
National Identity (Re)Construction in Japanese and American Animated Film: Self and Other Representation in Pocahontas and Princess Mononoke (HTML)
by Kaori Yoshida electronic journal of contemporary japanese studies Article 5 in 2011 First published in ejcjs on 30 September 2011
Pocahontas reclaimed: the Powhatans' theatrical rebuttal to Disney's revisionist myth (PDF)
by Barbara E. Gardner (July 16, 2003) Rowan University, Rowan Digital Works
Redesgning Pocahontas (Word Doc)
by Gary Edgerton and Kathy Merlock Jackson (1996), Journal of Popular Film & Television, Summer 96, Vol. 24 Issue 2, p90
Gender Role Portrayal and the Disney Princesses (PDF)
by Dawn Elizabeth England, Lara Descartes, Melissa A. Collier-Meek; Sex Roles (2011) 64:555–567
Using Critical Race Theory to Analyze How Disney Constructs Diversity: A Construct for the Baccalaureate Human Behavior in the Social Environment Curriculum (HTML)
by Amy Cappiccie, Janice Chadha, Muh Bi Lin, Frank Snyder, Journal of Teaching in Social Work, Volume 32, 2012 - Issue 1
Cultural representations in Walt Disney films: Implications for social work education (PDF)
by Katherine van Wormer, Cindy Juby, Journal of Social Work 0(0) 1–17, 2015
Disney in Korea: A Socio-Cultural Context of Children’s Popular Culture
by Lena Lee, Red Feather Journal 2010
“Frozen in Time”: The Impact of Native American Media Representations on Identity and Self-Understanding (PDF)
by Peter A. Leavitt, Rebecca Covarrubias, Yvonne A. Perez, Stephanie A. Fryberg, Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 71, No. 1, 2015
A side note on the (un)popularity of "Pocahontas" the movie ...
Does it interest anyone to know that "Pocahontas" is the least popular of all Disney "princess" feature films that is not a sequel or prequel? According to Rotten Tomatoes, "Pocahontas" (1995), with a critic rating of 56% and an audience rating of 64%, ranks a bit higher than the Disney prequel, "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning" (2008; critic rating 33% audience rating 56%). However, even the sequel "Cinderella III: A Twist in Time" (2007) is ranked higher than "Pocahontas", with a critic rating of 75% and an audience rating of 61%. The next up from that is the Disney princess feature film "Brave" (2012), with a critic rating of 78% and an audience rating of 76%, followed by "The Princess and the Frog" (2009), with a critic rating of 85% and an audience rating of 74%. The top ranked Disney princess film, for anyone who is interested, is "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), with a critic rating of 98% and an audience rating of 78%.
Data taken from Rotten Tomatoes on Aug. 6, 2019.
Here is the article that prompted me to look into this data:
"All of Disney's animated princess movies, ranked by critics", by Michelle Larkin, at Insider
In May 2021, a student from Indonesia, Laras, asked me some questions re. the Disney movie. Following are the questions and my replies:
1. Compared to the readings you did about Pocahontas and the Powhatan tribe’s history in Jamestown, how would you describe the difference between it and Disney’s representation of Pocahontas?
Disney took an actual historical situation and setting, the colonization of North America by the English, and a few real people from that event (Pocahontas, John Smith, Powhatan, Kocoum, Ratclffe) and created a family-friendly animated romantic drama with a fictional story and romance, and imagined dialog and character traits. Almost nothing in this movie happened as portrayed, though the climatic event, the rescue of John Smith by Pocahontas, may have occurred in some form. Most historians today think that it either did not occur, or that it was a ritual that John Smith misunderstood. Some people do, however, maintain that the rescue may have happened more or less as John Smith described it in his memoirs many years later, based on their belief that Smith mostly told the truth and none of his contemporaries chose to refute the story. We should note, however, that no one confirmed the story either, and in any case, there were no witnesses to the rescue other than Powhatan Indians, who were either deceased or not communicating with the English by the time the story emerged. Also, the rescue that Smith described did not happen as a result of the events portrayed in the Disney movie. A fairly important detail is that the real Pocahontas was only a girl of about 11 years old when the colonists arrived in Jamestown.
As for the character of Pocahontas, the real Pocahontas was likely a curious and charismatic girl who had the ability to adapt to adapt to and mediate between two cultures. However, since she was a prisoner of the English, it’s difficult to say how much she acted under her own free will. For example, would she have converted to Christianity or voyaged to England if she had had the freedom to refuse? We don’t know for certain, but there is reason to doubt that she would have done so.
2) How do you see Disney’s motive in their attempt on incorporating Native American identity in Pocahontas?
In making the Pocahontas movie, Disney was primarily motivated by the idea of making money by portraying an American “princess” in an American story, as most of the previous “princess’ movies had a European background. The makers took an American legend, the rescue of John Smith by Pocahontas, and adapted it into a movie that would attract both children and adults. While they ignored the actual story of Pocahontas, who was abducted by the English and died at the age of 21 far from home, Disney did try to be respectful to what is known of Powhatan culture from that time. They hired Powhatan consultants, which resulted in their portraying reasonably accurate dugout canoes and dwellings like the Powhatans were known to use. The Indian characters were voiced by actual Native Americans. The Powhatan Indians in the movie were generally portrayed as more noble, eco-friendly and likeable than the English characters, who were comically reckless and primarily motivated by greed. I can’t speak for the motivations of Disney, but I suspect they hoped to avoid criticism of their portrayal of Native Americans.
Disney chose to focus on the legend of Pocahontas, which seems reasonable to me if they were trying to sell tickets, as the actual story would not have been a happy, family friendly movie. Disney was fairly progressive in its portrayal of the Indians and the English, though no one seems to give them credit for that. Russell Means, the voice of Powhatan, who had been involved in Native American rights movements, was one of the few voices who approved of how the Indians in the movie were portrayed. I am personally inclined to be generous to Disney on this question, though I don’t care for the movie much. I don’t have any problem with its deviation from the historical record, as it was not trying to be a documentary. Titanic is also a movie based on a historical event, but viewers would not have cared so deeply about the characters had there not been a fictional romance between Jack and Rose. Disney probably could have avoided some criticism by not making a Pocahontas movie at all, but since the movie was a commercial success, I suspect they have few regrets.
3) Seeing the outrage that has revolved around the animated movie, would you say that it has a negative impact on how people perceive the story itself?
The Pocahontas movie is over 20 years old. I’m a teacher in Japan, and almost none of my students have seen this movie. I doubt that many people nowadays are outraged by it or affected by it at all. Some people think Pocahontas was only a Disney character and not a real person. People who have seen the movie may be more inclined to think there was a romance between John Smith and Pocahontas, but people actually thought that even before this movie came out, as the legend of the romance is a few centuries old. Rather than have a negative effect, I think that people who view the movie today may be more inclined to want to know more about the events surrounding Jamestown, and they can enjoy comparing the fictional story to the historical details we know. The fictional Disney Pocahontas was a strong woman who ultimately chose to stay with her people. The real Pocahontas was (probably) a strong woman caught up in world-changing events not of her own making. I don’t think Disney’s portrayal of her has a negative effect today, and it’s surprising to me that some people think it might.
Kevin Miller,
Yokohama, Japan
May 23, 2021
1. Compared to the readings you did about Pocahontas and the Powhatan tribe’s history in Jamestown, how would you describe the difference between it and Disney’s representation of Pocahontas?
Disney took an actual historical situation and setting, the colonization of North America by the English, and a few real people from that event (Pocahontas, John Smith, Powhatan, Kocoum, Ratclffe) and created a family-friendly animated romantic drama with a fictional story and romance, and imagined dialog and character traits. Almost nothing in this movie happened as portrayed, though the climatic event, the rescue of John Smith by Pocahontas, may have occurred in some form. Most historians today think that it either did not occur, or that it was a ritual that John Smith misunderstood. Some people do, however, maintain that the rescue may have happened more or less as John Smith described it in his memoirs many years later, based on their belief that Smith mostly told the truth and none of his contemporaries chose to refute the story. We should note, however, that no one confirmed the story either, and in any case, there were no witnesses to the rescue other than Powhatan Indians, who were either deceased or not communicating with the English by the time the story emerged. Also, the rescue that Smith described did not happen as a result of the events portrayed in the Disney movie. A fairly important detail is that the real Pocahontas was only a girl of about 11 years old when the colonists arrived in Jamestown.
As for the character of Pocahontas, the real Pocahontas was likely a curious and charismatic girl who had the ability to adapt to adapt to and mediate between two cultures. However, since she was a prisoner of the English, it’s difficult to say how much she acted under her own free will. For example, would she have converted to Christianity or voyaged to England if she had had the freedom to refuse? We don’t know for certain, but there is reason to doubt that she would have done so.
2) How do you see Disney’s motive in their attempt on incorporating Native American identity in Pocahontas?
In making the Pocahontas movie, Disney was primarily motivated by the idea of making money by portraying an American “princess” in an American story, as most of the previous “princess’ movies had a European background. The makers took an American legend, the rescue of John Smith by Pocahontas, and adapted it into a movie that would attract both children and adults. While they ignored the actual story of Pocahontas, who was abducted by the English and died at the age of 21 far from home, Disney did try to be respectful to what is known of Powhatan culture from that time. They hired Powhatan consultants, which resulted in their portraying reasonably accurate dugout canoes and dwellings like the Powhatans were known to use. The Indian characters were voiced by actual Native Americans. The Powhatan Indians in the movie were generally portrayed as more noble, eco-friendly and likeable than the English characters, who were comically reckless and primarily motivated by greed. I can’t speak for the motivations of Disney, but I suspect they hoped to avoid criticism of their portrayal of Native Americans.
Disney chose to focus on the legend of Pocahontas, which seems reasonable to me if they were trying to sell tickets, as the actual story would not have been a happy, family friendly movie. Disney was fairly progressive in its portrayal of the Indians and the English, though no one seems to give them credit for that. Russell Means, the voice of Powhatan, who had been involved in Native American rights movements, was one of the few voices who approved of how the Indians in the movie were portrayed. I am personally inclined to be generous to Disney on this question, though I don’t care for the movie much. I don’t have any problem with its deviation from the historical record, as it was not trying to be a documentary. Titanic is also a movie based on a historical event, but viewers would not have cared so deeply about the characters had there not been a fictional romance between Jack and Rose. Disney probably could have avoided some criticism by not making a Pocahontas movie at all, but since the movie was a commercial success, I suspect they have few regrets.
3) Seeing the outrage that has revolved around the animated movie, would you say that it has a negative impact on how people perceive the story itself?
The Pocahontas movie is over 20 years old. I’m a teacher in Japan, and almost none of my students have seen this movie. I doubt that many people nowadays are outraged by it or affected by it at all. Some people think Pocahontas was only a Disney character and not a real person. People who have seen the movie may be more inclined to think there was a romance between John Smith and Pocahontas, but people actually thought that even before this movie came out, as the legend of the romance is a few centuries old. Rather than have a negative effect, I think that people who view the movie today may be more inclined to want to know more about the events surrounding Jamestown, and they can enjoy comparing the fictional story to the historical details we know. The fictional Disney Pocahontas was a strong woman who ultimately chose to stay with her people. The real Pocahontas was (probably) a strong woman caught up in world-changing events not of her own making. I don’t think Disney’s portrayal of her has a negative effect today, and it’s surprising to me that some people think it might.
Kevin Miller,
Yokohama, Japan
May 23, 2021