Mar 11, 20224 min read

My Two Native American Heroes

Updated: Mar 17, 2022

I have always been extremely fascinated with the story of Pocahontas aka Lady Rebecca Rolfe. She was the daughter of Powhatan, a powerful chief of Tsenacommacah. Her Christian name Rebecca means "mother of two peoples."* Despite the fact that there are many discrepancies about the real version of the story of Pocahontas, she will forever be my hero. When I was a little girl I would read her story over and over again. I loved the story of her life. What peaked my interest was her incredible strength and courage. Pocahontas made a difference for her people, when it would have be easier to just fade into the background or to turn away. She didn't take the easy road. She used the difficult circumstances life had given her and accepted the enormous task of representing the millions of Native Americans that lived in the Americas. Pocahontas converted to Christianity prior to marrying John Rolfe a successful tobacco planter in April 1614. Their marriage is considered to be the first inter-racial church wedding in US history, a peace making marriage.* It had to be extremely hard for her to leave her people and to travel to England with her son Thomas and her husband as an ambassador for her people in 1617. They were accompanied by an entourage of around a dozen Algonquian Native Americans, as a Native American princess she was able to be presented at the court of King James I.* Pocahontas was in a strange land with people who were extremely different from her, yet she didn't give up she used her position to make a difference until she died less than a year later around the age of 21 on her way back to Virginia from London.

My Connection:

Today I stumbled across the obituary of my great gentle giant Dr. Lloyd M. Elm founder and principal of Native American Magnet School #19. He was born on October 11, 1934 and died on October 3, 2019. As I read his obituary I was humbled by the magnitude of Dr. Elm's life story and the impact he had on the lives of Native Americans in New York State and in Washington D.C.

In 2019 when I heard that Dr. Elm past away it was too much to process with all of the chaos that was happening in our country. Today I was reminded of his impact upon my life and I wanted to honor Dr. Elm and his legacy. When I was in 7th and 8th grade attending Native American Magnet School #19 I was a bit of a rogue. I decided that I was tired of following the school rules and it was time for me to have some real fun. I entered in 6th grade and it was an extremely difficult time for me as I had to adjust to a new school and a new neighborhood. I got tired of trying to fit in and I thought what I did didn't truly matter. Everyone around me was getting into trouble and nothing ever happened to them so I allowed my behavior to declined significantly in my core classes and everywhere else in the school. I began acting up in the cafeteria, the library, and in the hallways. I didn't care anymore about anything I just wanted to have fun so I acted out in meaningful ways. Finally, one day during P.E. class my behavior quickly declined and instead of following the dodge ball game rules my friends and I decided to take it to the next level. Needless to say my friends and I were sent to the principal's office. I was scared, because I knew that if my mother appeared at school, I was going to get it. My mom often pop up because my siblings often like to get into trouble and as the goody too shoes I pride myself on keeping my head down, daydreaming, and getting lots of admiration for my good behavior. Thankfully, I encountered Dr. Elm. I have had brief interactions with him but I never had his complete attention before. On this day I did. I nervously waited outside on the dark wooden bench in the dim hallway waiting my turn. When it was time to go into his office he told me to sit down. He patiently reminded me of my responsibilities and the expectations that I needed to meet. He talked about my progress. Then, Dr. Elm asked me if I wanted him to notify my mother. When I left his office I felt extremely motivated to rededicate my remaining time at School 19 to my studies and to challenge myself to study more and to work better with my peers and my teachers. You see I was extremely bitter about the realities of life and Dr. Elm made an tremendous impact on my life by taking the time to mentor me. His patience and attention made all the difference, so that when I was promoted to Lafayette High School I took my commitment to advancing myself seriously. I kept my head down, stayed extremely focused, and graduated high school among the top ten students in my graduating class. Which lead to being accepted at Canisius College a Jesuit school in Buffalo, New York. This is how the power of One person actively believing in you can make all the difference.

Prior to the pandemic I had the unique opportunity to travel with my church group to Montana on a mission's trip. I was able to serve on a Native American reservation. I didn't realize until today how God is the ultimate weaver. Majority of the time I do things because it seems like fun or it's just an impulse but I'm learning that God uses my interest to inspire me to make small but meaningful differences for others. I am continually humbled by this gift. I pray that I continue the path that God has set for me and can encourage and inspire others to do the same.

You can read more about Dr. Elm's life by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

If God has done something wonderful in your life please leave a comment and share this post with others. Thank you!

Peace, Love, & Joy,

Esther Kamoche Robinson