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Her parents - Pocahontas was the favorite daughter of the Indian Chief Wahunsonacock (a.k.a. Powhatan) of the Powhatan confederacy considered to be a cruel and bloodthirsty people; they conquered neighboring tribes and would exact tribute from them. Her mother was one of the "Lost Colony" who was taken in by Powhatan which explains why Pocahontas adapted to English customs and the language very quickly.
Life at the Village - She lived in a longhouse made of bark and animal skins over wooden frames. Such houses were normally shared by several family, except for the chief’s family. Furniture consisted of bark mats and crude utensils. While the women cultivated fields of maize (Indian corn), beans, and squash, the men were out hunting, fishing, seeing to the safety of the tribe, and making tools, weapons or repairing them Additionally, Powhatans cultivated pumpkins, peas, squash, apples and tobacco to use for medicine and religious ceremonies, worshipping Ketchi_Manito, and, of course, smoking. Every few years, after depleting the local land, the village had to move a few miles away and start over. Like any other child of her tribe, she was trained to observe nature, to endure hardship, and to learn Indian signs and the use of plants. As a woman, she also had to learn to cook, the art of tattooing or staining the body using plant juices, and to make clay pots, garments, weave baskets, and carve wooden plates.
The Peace Keeper - In 1607 the colonists arrived seeking to build their fortune. Shortly after their arrival, Pocahontas, now 10 years old, was seen playing with English boys; she was mesmerizing them with her free spirit and athletic prowess. That same year, John Smith was captured by Powhatan’s brother who wanted to put him to death. In spite of her youth, she suspected that the Englishmen were going to retaliate as they used to; consequently, Pocahontas protected John Smith from her father’s wrath by putting herself between the two men. Saved, John Smith, supported by Pocahontas, discussed a trade agreement with the Indians in exchange for food for the colonists who were currently starving being incapable of sustaining themselves. Smith had to return to England. During his absence, the relations between the settlers and the Indians deteriorated. At the age of 13, while bringing food to the settlers, Pocahontas was abducted by the a few of them in an attempt to maintain the peace with her father. While in captivity, she was taught the English language and the fundamentals of Christianity whence her name, Rebecca. At the age of 14, she married John Rolfe who takes credit for the current tobacco industry in Virginia. Shortly after being married, they went to England where Pocahontas was presented to King James who gave her the title of "Lady Rebecca." At the age of 21, she gave birth to her only child, Thomas. Despite having become the darling of the English court, she never could forget her homeland and longed for it. Feeling like an object, reminding everyone that the English "owned" Virginia and sickened by their ways, she insisted on returning to Virginia. However, she caught smallpox before leaving and died at Gavesend at the age of 21. She was buried there where a statue in her honor is erected.