Which Disney princess is a Native American woman who falls in love with John Smith? The answer is Pocahontas.
Disney’s Pocahontas is the title character of the 1995 animated film and a member of the Disney Princess franchise. The film portrays her as the daughter of Chief Powhatan, a leader of the Powhatan people in what is now Virginia. She meets the English settler John Smith after his arrival in the New World, and their relationship becomes the film’s central romance.
The animated character is loosely based on the historical Pocahontas, who lived in the early 17th century and was also known by names including Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe. Disney’s story takes substantial creative liberties, especially in presenting Pocahontas and Smith as romantic peers. Historical accounts do not support the film’s romance in the same way, and Pocahontas was probably much younger when she encountered Smith.
Pocahontas joined the official Disney Princess lineup as its seventh member and became its first princess based on a real person. Her story is also notable for introducing a Native American heroine to the franchise.