Author Topic: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History  (Read 6347 times)

Offline jeaniesgenealogy

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Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« on: March 23, 2016, 01:36:27 am »
Hello,
I posted awhile back, my name is Jeanie and I write a blog. I write about genealogy in general and sometimes about mythical Indian ancestors. I just ordered a book by Dr. Linwood Custalow about the 'real story about what happened to Pocahontas." His version of the story is not the Disney version. He says that his version is based on the Sacred Oral History of the Mattaponi Tribe.

I know nothing about the content of the history, passed orally, by any tribe, or what it might contain. I'm curious about the possibility that the story of this young woman, who no one (white folk) wrote about from 1625 until the 1830's and really not until just recently, would be passed from generation to generation among the survivors of the Mattaponi's for almost four hundred years.

We've all played the game where a message gets passed from one person to the next and by the time it gets back to the original sender it's botched. Do Native American treat their oral history like some people treat the Bible, as Gospel truth? Is there room for error? Was this guy just trying to make a buck on a great story?

Hope you don't mind me asking.

Jeanie

Offline earthw7

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Re: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2016, 08:47:36 pm »
what a question lol
we keep our histories oral it is kept by one person who must not change a word of the story
we do record on winter counts event, but today we have people putting out stuff that is just not true.
and some of the stories are just plain crazy.
everyday I get a story about Sitting Bull many claim to be related, but 95% are not and some are really crazy
I keep them all as a record.
What I wonder is why people think we don't know our own histories.
If the story can tell you the names of the people and the events and you can trace them though history I would believe them.

 
In Spirit

Offline jeaniesgenealogy

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Re: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2016, 07:35:44 pm »
Thank you for your reply. Another question, if I may, will the one holder of the oral history tell it to say me, if I ask. Or is it something that is not shared with nontribal members?

What do you make of this interesting statement: Fully 1/4 of the entire old original Cherokee Nation is descended from Pocahontas and Powhatan, and we can back that up. From http://www.amonsoquathbandofcherokee.org/pocahontas-powhatan-genealogy.html

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2016, 12:46:46 pm »
Sometimes the oral history has been shared with scholars. Sometimes it has been shared at public events, though some matters may be kept close.

The supposed Amonsoquath are a bizarre group of wannabes with ludicrous claims. They show up in over a dozen threads, most often tied to one of the worst exploiters, William Anderson AKA Blue Otter.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=3189.msg27612#msg27612

Those supposed names as proof, that would include half the white population of America. It's pretty well documented how many white Virginians make dubious claims of being related to Pocahontas. Almost as common as false claims of a Cherokee ancestor. Most southern whites who claim an NDN ancestor actually have Black ones they originally were trying to hide.

Offline earthw7

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Re: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2016, 01:55:30 pm »
crazy question? why would Cherokee claim to be related to Pocahontas? they are different nations different languages
does anyone know history?
In Spirit

Offline jeaniesgenealogy

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Re: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2016, 07:47:52 pm »
A daughter of Opechancanough Powhatan (Pocahonta's uncle)  married Pineshooter Wapasha Ojibwe

Dakota Woman Powhatan formerly [surname unknown]
Born 1715 [location unknown]
Daughter of Chief Red Leaf (Wabasha) Sioux I and [mother unknown]

This stuff and dozens more like it are all over the internet. Apparently the Powhatan women were a travelling sort. Ah well, I could write about this stuff all day.

People will believe anything.

Offline earthw7

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Re: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2016, 08:17:19 pm »
ok now they are messing with my children family.. :o
no that is not true why would Wapasha has the Ojibwe attach to his name
that is a french word for pucker up moccasin???
Plus why would they mix two different nation up?
ten we have three different nation together don't make sense
these people don't know Native history
In Spirit

Offline jeaniesgenealogy

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Re: Pocahontas and Mattaponi Sacred Oral History
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2016, 10:21:08 pm »
Red War Bonnet Ojibwe formerly Wapasha
Born 1656 in Milles Lacs, Minnesota
Son of Pineshooter (Wapasha) Ojibwe and Daughter of Opechancanough Powhatan
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of An Ojibway Captive (Ojibwe) Powhatan — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Father of Snow Mountain (Wabasha) Sioux
Died [date unknown] in Minnesota, United Statesmap

want to help me correct this? my e mail is     jeanie    4    9     @     gmail