Pocahontas’ forgotten legacy

WHAT remains fascinating about Pocahontas [“Not Always Drawn From Life” by Scarlet Chang, June 17] is not her false romance with John Smith or her airbrushed images after she died in England. It is that she is the first recorded bride in the New World, the only Indian princess to have married into the Jamestown colony, the first woman to give birth in the New World, the first Indian dignitary to enjoy an audience with the Crown, the only Indian official to have been buried by the Church of England and the first Indian to dedicate land for the New World.

She was the first international New World celebrity with fame sufficient to give our incarcerated Paris Hilton diva envy. Like Paris, Pocahontas did not lead a simple life, but unlike Paris, Pocahontas led a life that meant something.

Her lifeline is the backbone of American life. Without having said a word worth repeating or written a word worth reciting, by her deeds, dowry and dignity, Pocahontas has proven to be the silver thread of our never-ending pursuit of happiness.

BRAD S. BARNES

Santa Ana