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“Racist” White Woman Shredded After Dressing as Pocahontas
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Pocahontas (1995) is stirring controversy online again after a white woman showed off her Native American-inspired Halloween costume on TikTok. Once again, many call for the end of Pocahontas merchandise and costume pieces, especially when worn by non-Natives.
Disney’s Pocahontas
Now considered wildly historically inaccurate, many criticize Pocahontas for its Disney-fied depiction of an American Indian woman whom colonizers kidnapped and forcibly converted to Christianity. Walt Disney Animation Studios corrected some of its errors in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998). Still, opponents say Disney should stop profiting from the tragic story of Pocahontas, otherwise known as Matoaka.
“Pocahontas — along with her playful pals Meeko and Flit — relies on the guidance of her loving and wise Grandmother Willow when English settlers arrive on the shores of their village,” the official Disney movie description reads. “Her chance meeting with the courageous Captain John Smith leads to a beautiful friendship that bridges the gap between two cultures, and changes history.”
Pocahontas Costume
On Halloween, TikToker @alabamahannah__ shared a video of herself and her son dressed as the Disney Princess version of Pocahontas and Meeko the raccoon. The video received just 65 likes, contrasted with hundreds of comments condemning the woman’s behavior as cultural appropriation:
@alabamahannah__ Had to bribe him with a sucker to stay in his costume for one video… its the best i could do 🙃 #fyp #fypシ #halloween #costumes #raccoon #pocahontas #momsoftiktok #boymom #trickortreats
“Native Americans are not your costume,” said @mirandaadria2. “How many times does it need to be repeated? Do better next time.”
“Disney stole the story of a real MMIW [Missing & Murdered Indigenous Woman] and turned it into some YT [white] washed fairytale,” @sheenas2qtclenails agreed. “Matoaka was a child! Our culture isn’t your costume!”
“So a CHILD being TAKEN from her family is an amusing costume for you huh?” @cincitaz777 asked.
The woman refused all criticism.
“Absolutely anything can be a costume, get over yourself,” she said to one upset commenter.
“Girl apparently if a white person tries to dress up as anything other than white, they’re racist,” she wrote to another. “Apparently the word savage is racist. Next banana will be racist. Like I said, overly sensitive people.”
But some argued it was a dangerous example for the mother to set for her son.
“Don’t act like it isn’t any of my business a white lady is making her white son into a racist prop, and eventually a racist which=dangerous,” @okramama wrote.
“Why even do this to an innocent child?” @the_northernskald asked. “This is not okay.”
“Take this down,” @loladanger agreed. “It’s disrespectful.”
Many commenters were outraged that the woman used a line from “Colors of the Wind” in which Pocahontas refers to the English colonizers calling her an “ignorant savage.”
“WHAT WITH THE SAVAGE LINE TOO,” @babiethebunnie said.
“This snow roach is in fact an ignorant savage,” @iv3g0n3insan3 replied.
Still, a few commenters defended the costume.
“She’s cosplaying as a Disney character!” @atlas10386 wrote. “It’s ok people! It’s cute her kids the raccoon from the movie!! It’s a Disney movie!! Relax!!!”
“I think this is so cute!!” @haleyfreeman18 said. “Nothing wrong at all with doing this with your kid.”
Should non-Native American people wear Pocahontas-inspired costumes?
This post originally appeared on Inside the Magic.
