Based on one of the most famous
legends in American history, this Disney animated film examines
the interactions among the Powhatan Indians and the English
colonists in Jamestown during the early 17th century. Pocahontas
(Irene Bedard) is the daughter of Algonquin chief Powhatan (Russell
Means), who has promises her in marriage to Kocoum, whom she
doesn't love.
When the English colonists arrive,
she becomes enamored with John Smith (Mel Gibson). Conflict
arises as the settlers, led by Governor Ratcliffe (David Ogden
Stiers) seek the gold that they're sure the Indians are concealing.
Examine the studio
still photos from this movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114148/photogallery
Read:
Redesigning
Pocahontas: Disney,
the "White Man's Indian," and the Marketing
of Dreams
http://www.lions.odu.edu/~thavens/comm360/pocahontas.html
and
The Pocohontas Myth by Chief Roy Crazy Horse of the Powhatan
Nation.
http://www.powhatan.org/pocc.html
For a comparison of the Disney movie, Pocahontas,
and the "real" Pocahontas, see tables with side-by-side data
comparisons by David Morenus on his Pocahontas
website:
http://pocahontas.morenus.org/