- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
After the debut of a female character named Princess Matoaka in King Conan #3, a newly released Marvel comic book, that caused ire among Native Americans, writer Jason Aaron says he will change the character’s name.
The pushback came because Princess Matoaka is a name associated with Pocahontas, who was a member of the Pamunkey tribe in Virginia.
Pocahontas, who lived from 1596 to 1617, has become a romanticized historic figure that was made even more famous by the 1995 Disney film. Readers of the King Conan #3 criticized the sultry depiction of the animated character. The similarities of the mythical Pocahontas and King Conan #3 character are similar.
Several tweets said the real-life Pocahontas was only about 12 years old when she had the relationship with John Smith and then held captive by colonists in Virginia. She was reportedly raped.
Critics say depictions of Native American women as being sexual objects in comics, books, and film contribute to the exploitation of Indigenous women, which result in one of three Native women being subjected to sexual assault during their lifetimes.
After the social media criticism, King Conan #3’s writer Jason Aaron issued this apology:
“In KING CONAN #3, I made the ill-considered decision to give a character the name of Matoaka, a name most closely associated with the real-life Native American figure, Pocahontas. This new character is a supernatural, thousand-year-old princess of a cursed island within a world of pastiche and dark fantasy and was never intended to be based on anyone from history. I should have better understood the name’s true meaning and resonance and recognized it wasn’t appropriate to use it. I understand the outrage expressed by those who hold the true Matoaka’s legacy dear, and for all of this and the distress it’s caused, I apologize. As part of that apology, I’ve already taken what I was paid for the issue and donated it to the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. The character’s name and appearance will be adjusted for the rest of this mini-series and in all digital and collected editions.”
More Stories Like This
Ho-Chunk Trucker Spreads MMIP Message, Offers Safe Haven from Domestic ViolenceNative News Weekly (September 24, 2023): D.C. Briefs
Assemblyman Ramos Honored with Award for Long Service to California Native American Commission
Navajo Nation Council Members Meet with US Treasurer Malerba
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Chairman Marshall Pierite Launches Bid to Become NCAI President
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
