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The first Disney animated feature based on historical fact, "Pocahontas " tells the story of the meeting of the English settlers in Jamestown with the local tribe of Powhatan Indians. The adventurous young Indian woman Pocahontas, along with her constant companions, Meeko, a raccoon, and Flit, a hummingbird, visits Grandmother Willow, a counseling tree spirit, because she is uncertain about the path her life should take. She soon meets the brave English captain John Smith, and while she opens his eyes to an understanding and respect for the world around him, the two fall in love. The other English settlers, led by Governor Ratcliffe, are intent on finding gold in the New World and become convinced the Indians are hiding the precious substance from them. Thomas, an inexperienced settler, kills the Indian brave Kocoum, but Smith lets the Indians think he is responsible, so he is condemned to death. In begging her father, Chief Powhatan, to spare Smith's life, Pocahontas finds that her path in life is to be instrumental in establishing the early peace between the Jamestown settlers and her tribe. Smith, however, is severely wounded by an enraged Ratcliffe and must return to England. Pocahontas and he part, each knowing their lives are richer for the love they share. |
