About

In 1613 one of the most famous events in early American history happened on the Northern Neck, at the Patawomeck village of Passapatanzy in modern-day King George County. The kidnapping of Pocahontas has been portrayed in history and popular culture as a betrayal of Wahunsenacawh’s daughter by the Patawomeck werowance, Japazaw, for over four centuries. However, from the moment it happened, the narrative surrounding this event was controlled by English colonizers with very specific, and nefarious, goals. This presentation takes an Indigenous-centered approach to that specific event, understanding it in reference to the larger social, political, and cultural contexts that were at play during the time. The myth that arose from this highly complex event illustrates how Indigenous history has been manipulated over centuries by non-Indigenous people to justify taking land, genocide, and denying identity. A Patawomeck perspective helps us understand why traditional colonial narratives must be critically examined and how a more complete history is understood through comparison, context, and a less provincial approach to research.