`Pocahontas' Racist, Says Principal

The principal of Seattle's Indian Heritage High School has sent out an electronic message denouncing the Disney movie "Pocahontas" as a racist, sexist and distorted production that could hurt the self-esteem of the district's 1,500 Native-American students.

Robert Eaglestaff sent the message to district staff, contending that Disney is promoting "racism, rape and child molestation" through the film, which he acknowledges he hasn't seen.

Eaglestaff said he based his criticism on publicity, recordings and what other Native Americans have told him.

"Do not support Disney by paying to see this movie," the message said. Eaglestaff said yesterday after sending it that he probably would see the film to buttress his position.

Disney declined comment on the matter.

The real Pocahontas, Eaglestaff wrote, was 11 when she encountered Englishman John Smith, who admits in his "Histories" that he "basically raped her, left her with child and still saw her as an uncivilized savage."

Eaglestaff said he was most concerned about the lyrics of songs that refer to Native Americans in derogatory terms and say they should be killed."This is blatant racism against Indian people," Eaglestaff wrote, adding that he worries about what effect such comments will have on Native-American students, and that school staffs should be prepared to deal with that.

"Maybe e-mail isn't the appropriate place for this," Eaglestaff said. "But I addressed it to educators to educate them and give them the facts. . . . What Disney is doing with `Pocahontas' is creating a whole new history."

Mike Hoge, the school district's general counsel, said he was not prepared to say whether the e-mail message was an inappropriate use of district resources, though he did say that "because of the educational implications, it's an appropriate subject for discussion among the schools' community."