Cultural historian and preservationist, specializing in Early Medieval Northern Europe and tribal culture. Supervisors: Catherine Cubitt and Elizabeth Tyler
The story of European colonization in North America looms large in modern American cultural legen... more The story of European colonization in North America looms large in modern American cultural legend and imagination. The image of the pilgrims on the Mayflower, the first Thanksgiving, and the Jamestown colony are important parts of American foundation mythology. The story of Pocahontas is among those national legends, its retelling an integral part of a canon which seeks to tell the early story of the relationship between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the Europeans who would colonize their lands. Like most national histories, kernels of truth intermingle with legend to create a mythological and idealized past. In this, portrayals of the life of Pocahontas have shifted over time, but throughout have essentialized her and her people, presenting more often the values of the writer and artist, than the woman they claim to represent.
The story of European colonization in North America looms large in modern American cultural legen... more The story of European colonization in North America looms large in modern American cultural legend and imagination. The image of the pilgrims on the Mayflower, the first Thanksgiving, and the Jamestown colony are important parts of American foundation mythology. The story of Pocahontas is among those national legends, its retelling an integral part of a canon which seeks to tell the early story of the relationship between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the Europeans who would colonize their lands. Like most national histories, kernels of truth intermingle with legend to create a mythological and idealized past. In this, portrayals of the life of Pocahontas have shifted over time, but throughout have essentialized her and her people, presenting more often the values of the writer and artist, than the woman they claim to represent.
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