Led by South American Pampayruna Two-Spirit Rafael Montero, this event is to raise awareness of the presence of Indigenous American people in England, and in particular to honour the spirit of Pocahontas at her burial site in Gravesend.
We gather at 3pm in St George’s Church, Gravesend for Pampayruna to give a presentation with music and illustrations on Native Americans in England. Pampayruna will speak about the history of Native American people, and their reception in England, answer questions for those attending, and then we will all go outside into the churchyard where her statue stands, for a ceremony to bring the Native American and Albion Soul together.
Pampayruna will lead a traditional Indigenous reconciliation ceremony to heal the soul of Pocahontas - after which we will play drums and call for peace, love and understanding of and between all cultures.
Born c. 1596, near present-day Jamestown, Virginia, U.S.—died March 1617, Gravesend, Kent, England) Pocahontas was a Powhatan woman who fostered peace between English colonists and Native Americans by befriending the settlers at the Jamestown Colony in Virginia and eventually marrying one of them.
Among her several native names, the one best known to the English was Pocahontas (translated at the time as “little wanton” or “mischievous one”). She came to England with her husband in 1616, where she died from a respiratory ailment while preparing to return to her homeland.
This free event is supported by the National Trust as part of its Heritage Open Day Programmes (
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/ and kindly hosted by St George’s Church, Gravesend.
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