Pocahontas is the movie that I selected to do this assignment. It’s a Disney-animated film from 1995. Captain John Smith of England and his crew set out to New World with the hope to find new gold and establish a settlement. Pocahontas is the daughter Powhatan. Her tribe had a very strong influence on the settlement in what is now Virginia. Pocahontas came into contact with Smith’s crew while they were exploring. She introduced him to the culture and land and this sparked an interest in her.
Ethnocentrism, or the view that one’s culture is best for living life, can be described as a way of thinking. John Smith’s statement to Pocahontas, that Europeans would be able to improve their lives by building roads and other buildings was a perfect example. Pocahontas grew offended when John Smith told her that he didn’t think Native Americans could succeed. To protect themselves the Englishmen used brass and sterling guns, but the Powhatans crafted their own traps and spears. These specific lines in the song “Colors of the Wind”, which Pocahontas sings to John Smith, caught my attention. You believe that the land is yours. You can’t claim the Earth. I am able to identify every rock, each tree and animal. I took these lyrics to mean that Pocahontas was showing how her culture, and the people of her tribe, valued their land. The movies used Foraging as a main strategy for subsistence. This is when you collect, hunt, or fish to get food. Horticulture refers to gardening. In the film, the Chesapeake Bay surrounds the land and this allowed the characters to catch a lot of fish. In the film, the corn fields are huge. John Smith shows corn to his men and tells them, “Look at the food!” while holding up an ear. The movie ends with multiple baskets filled with corn being given to the sailors.
The language used in the film was mainly English. Natives were able to understand what the sailors said, but in some scenes of the movie they would speak their native language. John Smith looked surprised when Pocahontas spoke English to him. Pocahontas explained to him that “Hello” is “Wingapo”, while “Goodbye’ is “Ana”. She also demonstrated her culture through clothing. Native Americans usually wore no or very little clothing. It was handmade from animal hides. The Englishmen wore boots, long sleeved shirt, and trousers. They are modestly dressed and cover their entire body.
I was able to learn about different cultures through the movie. Native Americans are very protective of the animals and land around them. They all know their place in the world. The Englishmen were only concerned with how to improve and colonize the land. Native Americans would also have tribe meetings, and their traditions played a role. The tribe would all gather together outside in a large tent or to discuss their next actions. While watching the film, I was not surprised by my observations. The values and cultures that were shown were not the same.
