The Face Behind the Voice

There are many criticisms to be made about the historical inaccuracy of 'Princess' Pocahontas, but that is not what this blog is analyzing. In terms of a strong, progressive feminist figure for little girls to admire, Pocahontas is actually an admirable young woman. What is interesting about this heroine is that she is the first Disney Princess to not be based off of a fable or fairy tale. This is also the first Disney movie to take a look at the negatives of the European settlement into North America. It is also a continuation of venturing further into the femininity of multiple cultures. Pocahontas is credited with being the 'hippie' of the Disney Princesses with her love of nature and acceptance of all beings created equal;  a very positive message for young girls. So what is there to deconstruct with this Powhatan native?

When researching the voices behind these princesses, I started to notice a trend. All of the cartoon princesses resemble the real life voice actors. It appears to be coincidental at first, but with Pocahontas it became very obvious that it was no accident. Irene Beddard, the speaking voice only of Pocahontas, is a very Native American-looking woman. Her roots, although still technically Native American, are in fact Inuit and also Metis (a Canadian culture based originally out of Europe). The singing voice of Pocahontas is played by Judy Kuhn, a New York City native. So what is the big deal? It appears that Disney is casting these women based off of their stereotypical portrayals of cultures. By lumping an Inuit native such as Irene with a Powhatan tribe member strips the cultural significance of these women.  It is ironic that Disney would attempt to make a culturally progressive film, albeit inaccurate and stereotypical, and then make a stereotypical vocal casting.