A Tribute to Pocahontas

My hometown, Gravesend, is the final resting place of the daughter of Powhatan (1545 – 1618), Chief of the Tsenacommacah alliance of Native Americans of Virginia. She has variously been called Amonute,  Matoaka, Princess Matoika and Rebecca Rolfe, but she is most commonly known as Pocahontas.

For Samhain, my friend and fellow Pagan Rachel wrote this beautiful tribute to Pocahontas to honour her spirit. It is so poignant and so relevant to what is happening in the world today, I am sharing it here with Rachel’s permission.

On this night when the veil is at its thinnest, we gather together to remember all those who have gone before us.

We thank you for the sacrifices you made in your lives, for the benefits we reap in ours, for the blood that runs through our veins. We are the flesh embodiment of a thousand love, hopes and dreams.

For all the voices lost in the darkness, we hear you now.

Life is a journey and there are times when our paths must split from others. As we carry on, we carry with us the sorrow and grief of those who had to say goodbye.

Know that they continue with us on our journey, unseen but felt and now at Samhain is when we feel them the most.

Let us spend a moment to honour and remember all those past. Both those known to us and those who we never met, but whose blood runs through our veins.

And now to honour an individual long since past. A visitor to this land who never got to return to her home.

Pocahontas is the name the world remembers you by, but that was just your childhood nickname, meaning spoiled or naughty child.

You were born Matoaka and later known by Amounte and then by your chosen name Rebecca. You were born in Virginia to the Powhatan tribe near the colonial settlement of Jamestown.

At 17 you were taken prisoner by the English and during your time in captivity, you caught the attention of a 28 year old tobacco planter called John Rolfe.

In order to secure your release, you agreed to marry John Rolfe, converted to Christianity and were baptised Rebecca Rolfe in 1614. You then travelled with him to England, meeting many members of England’s high society as an example of the “good work” the Virginia Company were doing.

In 1615 you gave birth to a son Thomas Rolfe. From Thomas your bloodline continued on and your memory kept alive. One of your descendants Nancy Reagan even became First Lady.

On your return to Virginia you became ill and were taken off the ship at Gravesend. You died on 21 March 1617 at the age of 21.

You died in a strange land thousands of miles from your family or your home.

Since you were a child you were taken advantage of, used and lied about. Even in these modern times your memory has been exploited to make money.

We stand here now and acknowledge you. We acknowledge all the wrong done to you and your memory.

We feel your sadness and pain at the injustices in your life and in your death.
We wish you peace to overcome the crimes against you.

As great atrocities were once committed against the native peoples of America, once again greed and the love of power are threatening the land and water.

Although we are far away, we turn our thoughts to Standing Rock in Dakota where so many people are desperately trying to protect the sacred ground and water against the Dakota pipeline access.

We ask that you Matoaka, Amounte, Rebecca, send strength to the first nation’s people at standing rock. We ask that as someone treated so badly by the invading people of your nation’s land, that you join with your ancestors to protect the sacred ground, water and its people.

We send our energy to the people of Standing Rock to protect the land and stop the abuse of power for the benefit of greed.

So mote it be.