16 Facts About the Real Pocahontas

16 Facts About the Real Pocahontas

Shannon Quinn - September 28, 2018

16 Facts About the Real Pocahontas
Powhatan women of high rank commonly had facial tattoos, and nearly everyone in the tribe had a few tattoos elsewhere on their body. Credit: Powhatan Museum

11. She Probably Had Lots of Tattoos

It was very common for Powhatan people to have tattoos all over their body. Even in the Disney version of Pocahontas, she is depicted as having at least one tattoo on her arm. Women of high rank in Powhatan society usually had face tattoos. As the daughter of the chief, it would make sense that she would, too. However, in every illustration of Pocahontas, there are no facial tattoos. It’s possible that the artists left them out in order to make her seem more normal by western standards. Or, maybe she left her village at such a young age, she was never able to complete that rite of passage.

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