Cultural Relativism in Disney’s Two Pocahontas Films

The narrative of Pocahontas has evolved over time, with her life subject to entertainment, exploitation, and manipulation.Pocahontas was a real Native American woman of royal status, born around 1595.She is widely known for allegedly saving the captive John Smith in 1607 by pleading for his life when her father was about to execute him.She later converted to Christianity, married the English colonist John Rolfe in 1614, and passed away in 1617 while in England.After her death, Pocahontas's story has been remembered in history books and literature, with different aspects of her life emphasized in varying contexts.In the eighteenth century, writers living in Virginia often highlighted her intermarriage as a solution model for the conflicts between Native Americans and English colonists.However, in the nineteenth century, as opposition to interracial marriage grew, this episode was either downplayed or omitted.By contrast, as the stories of her rescue and baptism did not conflict with prevailing social norms, they were more widely featured.The latter further symbolized Anglo-conformity-the abandonment of Indigenous beliefs in favor of a mainstream identity.During the Civil War era, Northern historians challenged this Southern narrative by arguing that John Smith fabricated the story of his rescue by Pocahontas, thereby diminishing her significance in American history. 1 Walt Disney's Pocahontas (1995) and its direct-to-video sequel, Pocahontas II (1998) , became part of this evolving narrative and have been discussed in the context of a growing respect for cultural diversity.Despite seemingly clear efforts on Disney's partsuch as casting Russell Charles Means, a Native American and prominent activist in the American Indian Movement, as the voice of Chief Powhatan-opinions on this matter are divided.Although some acknowledge the films as an improvement over past Disney productions that contain racial and ethnic depictions, these positive remarks are often brief. 2By contrast, the opponents are more vocal, although some of their arguments are not entirely well-founded.For instance, Leigh Edwards examines Pocahontas's appearance