Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

This Film Dispels the Myths of Pocahontas to Tell the True Story of Matoaka

Indigenous-led magazine MUSKRAT teamed with BBDO Canada on a campaign that calls for justice

Missing Matoaka — MUSKRAT is looking tell the truth about Matoaka, the young girl at the center of stories about Pocahontas.BBDO Canada, MUSKRAT

By Sara Century

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Though often remembered as a historical figure that led to peace between her tribe and European settlers, Pocahontas is a fictional construct utilized to further historical whitewashing and the erasure of the atrocities that colonization brought to the Indigenous peoples of North America. The true story is anything but heartwarming, and features a child named Matoaka at its center.

With the harm caused by misrepresentation of Matoaka’s story in mind, online Indigenous-led arts and culture magazine MUSKRAT has teamed with BBDO Canada to offer viewers the opportunity to correct false information that’s been disseminated throughout the years.

Sara Century

Sara Century is a freelance writer for Adweek.

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