drawing of an indian girl |
Pocahontas’ real name was Amounte (ah-moh-NOO-tay). She also had a secret, personal name, Matoaka (mah-TOH-kah). She was the daughter
of a powerful Indian chief, Powhatan, whose tribe lived near Jamestown, in western Virginia. Powhatan was also the name of Pocahontas’ tribe. After Pocahontas was born, in about 1595, her parents divorced, as was their custom. She lived with her mother and her mother’s family until she was about eight years old. She had dozens of half-sisters and half-brothers since her father married many times. We know little of Pocahontas’ mother except that she was a Native American.
Pocahontas wore little, if any, clothing. Her head was shaved with a lock of hair hanging down the back. She looked like this until she was about 15 years old. While she was growing up she learned from watching the women of her tribe do work. She played games of tag with her friends and probably played with dolls made from cornhusks. The children may have played in the river as well. They enjoyed running games. Pocahontas was a bright child and very curious about things in her world.
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