Rountree seems to believe it may have been a ritual to adopt John Smith as one of their own, as rituals similar to a “capturing” and “saving” have been documented in other Indian tribes. However, the Powhatan Renape Nation believes that no such capturing ever occurred. John Smith is known for having mysteriously been saved by numerous young women of high status right as he was about to be killed(Rountree). It is a fact though, that John Smith and Pocahontas must have met at some point. John Smith writes in his General Historie of Virginia that she often brought food to Jamestown, saving them from starvation. This too may not be true though, as Rountree argues that it was Powhatan who brought food to them, not Pocahontas. Even so, John Smith and Pocahontas at least had met around that
Rountree seems to believe it may have been a ritual to adopt John Smith as one of their own, as rituals similar to a “capturing” and “saving” have been documented in other Indian tribes. However, the Powhatan Renape Nation believes that no such capturing ever occurred. John Smith is known for having mysteriously been saved by numerous young women of high status right as he was about to be killed(Rountree). It is a fact though, that John Smith and Pocahontas must have met at some point. John Smith writes in his General Historie of Virginia that she often brought food to Jamestown, saving them from starvation. This too may not be true though, as Rountree argues that it was Powhatan who brought food to them, not Pocahontas. Even so, John Smith and Pocahontas at least had met around that