The True Story of Pocahontas Is Complicated

Pocahontas might be a household name, but the true story of her short, powerful life is buried in myths that have persisted since the 17th century. First, Pocahontas wasn’t her actual name. Born around 1596 in present-day Virginia, she was really named Amonute, and she also had the more private name Matoaka. Pocahontas—which translates to “playful one” or “ill-behaved child”—was her childhood nickname.