Powhatan's Tribe is a group of characters from the 1995 Disney animated feature film Pocahontas. They are a group of Native Americans who live in Chief Powhatan's village.
Background[]
Powhatan's tribe consists of many tribe members who live with Powhatan who served as their chief. Several tribe members consist of male and female members serving as harvesters and villagers collecting resources for their village respectively. For weapons, the tribe members can consist of archers who use bows and arrows to fight back and warriors who are armed with spears as well as tomahawks to fight back against dangers serving as a threat to Powhatan's tribe. After Kocoum was killed by Thomas, the tribesmen hold John Smith captive in a teepee as part of their chief's plan to kill him by sunrise. Later when they hear the settlers planning to fight back, Powhatan gets his tribe ready for battle in revenge against the settlers. The next day, Powhatan threatens to kill John Smith only for Pocahontas to stop her father from killing her interest, telling her father about what the path of hatred has brought to them. After Pocahontas stops the war between the tribesmen and the settlers, the tribesmen lower down their weapons in peace.
Appearances[]
Pocahontas[]
During the musical number "Steady as the Beating Drum", various tribes-people are seen canoeing across the river while two more tribesmen are seen using shells as horns to give in the signal to witness Chief Powhatan's return, followed by various other tribespeople excited to see their chief back at the village. Powhatan then announces that he and his warriors have triumphed over the hostile Massawomeck tribe, making the village safe again. Kekata tells the chief that his return has brought much joy to the village, to which Powhatan responds by inquiring as to where his daughter Pocahontas might be. Pocahontas and her friend Nakoma approach Powhatan as he announces a feast in honor of Kocoum, their tribe's most respected warrior. Pocahontas is glad to see her father, but feels uncertain when told that Kocoum wishes to marry her.
Later when the Susan Constant arrives at the village, Powhatan tells his fellow tribe that they must know about the people who arrive there which Kekata sees in his vision that he views them as enemies which Kocoum plans to lead the warriors to fight off the settlers. Later, they take part during battle against Ratcliffe's Settlers where they fight back after Ratcliffe leads his settlers to attack to which during battle, Governor Ratcliffe fires a shot at Namontack, injuring him while Kocoum confronts Ben attempting to kill him which after fighting him off, he takes Namontack into a hut where Powhatan narrates that the settlers are invaders, telling Kocoum to send in the messengers in every village to recruit the warriors to help them fight against the settlers, just as Powhatan warns them to never go near the settlers.
After the musical number "Colors of the Wind" ends, Pocahontas hears the tribesmen drumming from a distance, just as she is forced to return to the village. Back at the village, Pocahontas and Nakoma arrive at the village gathering food for the warriors while Powhatan sends in Kocoum to recruit the warriors. As the warriors arrive at the village that evening, Kocoum reports the tribe that the warriors have arrived to defend their village which Powhatan greets them, telling his tribe that he now has enough warriors to defeat the settlers. Pocahontas attempts to talk to her father telling him that he doesn't have to fight the settlers, which her father tells her that he cannot talk right now as the council is gathering, attempting to find a better way to end the conflict, trying to explain to her that nothing is simple anymore.
That night, Pocahontas returns to Grandmother Willow who tells her that the warriors have arrived and are planning to attack while John Smith tells Pocahontas that his men are planning to fight against the tribe's warriors and as Pocahontas tells Smith to talk to Chief Powhatan about this, Smith replies that talking will not work, telling her that he tried talking to his soldiers but it did not work; Grandmother Willow tells Smith that the right path is not easy to follow, convincing him that he and Pocahontas can be together when the fighting stops. As John Smith falls in love with Pocahontas, Thomas reacts with a surprised look while Kocoum angrily reacts to Pocahontas falling in love with Smith just as Kocoum threatens to kill Smith; after Thomas kills Kocoum, the tribesmen hear the commotion while John Smith tells Thomas to get out. The tribesmen confront Smith, accusing him of killing Kocoum (actually Thomas was the one who killed Kocoum) just as Smith is held hostage. Three more other tribesmen take Kocoum's dead body and bring him to their village to report to their chief about Kocoum's death. As the tribesmen bring Smith to the village, Powhatan accuses Smith of killing Kocoum, telling him that the weapons his soldiers use are strong and the tribe's anger is now stronger, planning to have Smith be the first victim to die. Pocahontas returns to her father who is furious that she should have stayed in the village, telling her daughter that she disobeyed and shamed him after hearing of Kocoum's death just as the tribesmen hold John Smith captive. After Nakoma meets Pocahontas who was worried about her, the latter tells her that she wants to meet John Smith one last time and as Nakoma takes Pocahontas to the village, the tribesmen guarding tell Pocahontas to be quick just as Pocahontas spends her last moment with Smith before sunrise.
During the musical number "Savages", Powhatan hears the settlers planning to attack his tribe as he tells them that the only thing the settlers feel is greed. As Kekata puts war paint on two warriors' faces, the other warriors ready themselves to attack while other tribesmen sound the drums of war as they plan to fight against the settlers. Throughout the musical number, the tribesmen and settlers form a violent war against each other. The next day, the warriors and other tribesmen fight off against the settlers while Powhatan threatens to kill John Smith, only for Pocahontas to defend Smith from her father. Powhatan tells her daughter to stand back, which Pocahontas refuses, telling her tribe that this is where the path of hatred has brought them to just as the tribesmen stop fighting. After Pocahontas tells the tribe about the path of hatred they chose, the tribesmen and settlers stop fighting when they feel the wind passing through just as Powhatan tells his tribe that his daughter speaks with wisdom, followed by Powhatan telling a nearby tribesman to release Smith while the tribesmen lower down their weapons in peace. However, Governor Ratcliffe rejects the offer and tries to shoot Powhatan, only Smith to push Powhatan out of the way and is shot in the process. The tribesmen then watch the settlers, Thomas, Ben, and Lon furiously turn against Ratcliffe for injuring Smith and have him chained and gagged.
Following the aftermath, the tribesmen peacefully approach the settlers who have made peace with each other just before John Smith is sent back to England to be healed as the Susan Constant sets sail to return to England.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World[]
Powhatan's tribe plays a minor role in the sequel where several harvesters are gathering food during the winter. Later, several archers witness John Rolfe's arrival at Virginia and upon hearing a peasant being saved by Pocahontas from Rolfe's horse who is panicking, the archers arrive in the form of a mob, leading the archers and settlers in a brief fight similar to what the tribe did against Ratcliffe's settlers only for Pocahontas to halt the fight, followed by Rolfe doing the same, causing the archers and settlers to stop fighting.
Later, Pocahontas returns to the village that night where a dancing ceremony takes place which John Rolfe arrives, telling Chief Powhatan that he is presenting his horse as a gift of peace to Pocahontas while Rolfe plans to prosper with Powhatan's tribe together under King James' rule which the tribe fears that Rolfe's settlers want to take their land, fearing that they might destroy their land which Rolfe interferes, telling the tribe that this is a matter of diplomacy which Pocahontas tells her father that she can do this. The next day, Pocahontas leaves for England while Powhatan sends Uttamatomakkin from the tribe to watch over his daughter which the other tribesmen witness Pocahontas leaving while Nakoma tells Pocahontas not to forget her tribe's native land just as Pocahontas leaves. The rest of Powhatan's tribe do not make further appearances after that.
Disney Parks[]
The Spirit of Pocahontas[]
The Powhatan tribe appeared in the former musical show at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios which retold the story from the perspective of the storyteller Werowance and the Powhatan tribe. Werowance served as the storyteller of the show with the tribe playing a major role throughout the show which retold the events of the original Pocahontas film. At the end of the show when Pocahontas was able to stop the war, the Powhatan tribesmen sang a reprise of "Colors of the Wind", like in the former Spirit of Pocahontas Show at the American parks.
Pocahontas Spectacular[]
The Powhatan tribe appeared in the former musical show at Disneyland Paris at the Chaparral Theater which retold the events of the Pocahontas film centered around the story of how Pocahontas brought between her tribe and the English settlers. At the end of the show when Pocahontas was able to stop the war, the Powhatan tribesmen and the English settlers sang a reprise of "Colors of the Wind", like in the former Spirit of Pocahontas Show at the American parks.
Fantasmic![]
From 1998 to 2022, the tribesmen took part during the "Pocahontas" sequence of the nighttime show in the Disney's Hollywood Studios version of "Fantasmic!". During the sequence, they took part in a battle against Ratcliffe's settlers only for Pocahontas to stop the fight between both groups where an instrumental version of "Colors of the Wind" plays. This sequence was removed as of the post-2022 revamp.
Historical Basis[]
"The Powhatan" was the name the Jamestown settlers gave to Chief Wahunsenacawh, the chief of their Algonquian-speaking neighbors. They also used the name as a term for all the peoples he ruled, though this actually included thirty different tribes with a combined population of about 21,000-14,000 at the time of the colonists' arrival. Though each tribe had its own "weroance" (leader), all paid tribute to Chief Powhatan, and owed him loyalty in exchange for his protection. Initial hostilities between the European newcomers and the natives gave way to peaceful relations under Chief Wahunsenacawh's leadership. However, after the chieftain's death the Powhatans and colonists engaged in bloody conflicts that almost destroyed the former.
Today, eight former Powhatan tribes are recognized in Virginia with 3000-3500 enrolled members.
