From children to adults, almost everyone knows who Pocahontas is.
Since her death in 1617, Pocahontas, a Powhatan Indian who connected with English Colonists in the early 1600s, has left behind a long-lasting legacy.
Inspired by the woman’s story, artists have created pieces inspired by her, movies have been filmed, books have been written, and much more.
Starting July 15, 400 years after her death, Virginia Peninsula residents and visitors alike will have the opportunity to dive into the life and legacy of Pocahontas.
Jamestown Settlement has organized a special exhibition highlighting Pocahontas’ impact on popular culture and art, according to a Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation news release.
The exhibition will start July 15 and end Jan. 28, the release said.
“In ‘Pocahontas Imagined,’ visitors will encounter Pocahontas as a real Powhatan Indian girl, who in life became a symbol of successful colonization and who in death inspired legends of Virginia history and American folklore,” the release said.
Born around 1596, Pocahontas was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, who presided over more than 30 Native American tribes in coastal Virginia.
After meeting the English Colonists in the early 1600s, Pocahontas moved to England, converted to Christianity and married Englishman John Rolfe, the release said. She died from an illness in 1617 in Gravesend, England.
“Pocahontas Imagined” will include artwork, memorabilia, advertisements and interactive experiences, all inspired by the legendary Native American woman. Visitors will be able to take a photo in a cutout on an “oversized” 1907 postage stamp with Pocahontas’ image and see various merchandise featuring her image, such as tobacco, oranges, cranberries and coal.
The exhibition will have an area for children and families, which will include weaving, decorating clay pots on a chalkboard wall, and learning about hunting and gathering.
Activity cards will also be handed out so children can “explore artistic patterns” outside in Jamestown Settlement’s re-created Powhatan Indian village, three 1607 English ships and colonial fort.
Jamestown Settlement will also host three Pocahontas-related public lectures starting at 7 p.m. on their respective dates, which are listed below:
- September 5: “Pocahontas in Image and Myth” – Karen Sherry, Art Historian and former Curator of American Art for the Portland Museum of Art in Maine and Associate Curator of Art at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.
- September 13: “Reel Indian: The Portrayal of Native Americans in Film” – Jeffrey Allison, Paul Mellon Collection Educator and Statewide Manager, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
- October 3: “Corrective Lens: Native Women Photographers and the Debunking of the ‘Vanishing Race’ Myth” – Johanna Minich, Adjunct Curator of Native American Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Jamestown Settlement is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Hours are extended until 6 p.m. from June 15 to Aug. 15.
Admission to the exhibition’s even lectures is free. 2017 admission to the settlement is $17.00 for adults and $8.00 for ages 6-12. Children under 6 are free. Parking is free.
Residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg, including College of William and Mary students, receive complimentary admission to Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown with proof of residency.
