TW: colonialism, violence against Indigenous Peoples, racism, historical rewriting, exploitation of marginalized communities and cultural erasure. Please listen with care.This week I dive into Disney’s 1995 animated film Pocahontas, a controversial entry in the Disney canon. The movie reimagines the real-life story of Matoaka, known as Pocahontas, an Indigenous Powhatan woman whose life and legacy were romanticized and distorted for mainstream audiences.This is a highly problematic film for SO many reasons, including by not limited to romanticizing the tragic story of the real life Pocahontas, the centering of the narrative of John Smith framing him as a hero and the downplaying the horrible impact of the english on Indigenous People. There is NO excuse. I wish Disney had done the research needed to make this film. Beyond casting Indigenous voice actors the care seems to have stopped there, This film could have much more to say if history was even remotely taken into account. The film centres a European perspective rather than the Indigenous one. The real story is far more complex, brutal, a story of survival under colonial pressure and not of romance. There is something to be said for the music conveying the overall message of shared humanity. As a kid the message I received from this film was the importance of environmental protection, finding the beauty in other cultures, and that the land I live on was/is stolen. Although this is positive it does not make up for the films glaring shortcomings. I’ll end this intro with a quote from Roger Ebert “Having led one of the most interesting lives imaginable, Pocahontas serves here as a simplified symbol.” This episode approaches Disney’s Pocahontas with care and honesty. I will talk about its artistry, its impact, and the painful truths behind its story. Please listen at your own comfort level, and take breaks if you need to.
