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By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

A Day of Honor for Pocahontas

WHEREAS, the woman born, Matoaka, in what is now the Commonwealth of Virginia, most famously known as Pocahontas, was the daughter of Wahunsenacawh, Chief of the Powhatan Confederacy of more than 30 Indian Tribes, who ruled from Werowocomoco, now the County of Gloucester, Virginia; and,

WHEREAS, Pocahontas helped the English settlers at Jamestown in many ways throughout her lifetime, including feeding them during the “Starving Time” and possibly saving the life of Captain John Smith; and,

WHEREAS, Pocahontas learned the English language and converted to Christianity at the Virginia Citi of Henricus and was baptized at Jamestown taking the name of Rebecca; and,

WHEREAS, Pocahontas, as Rebecca, married John Rolfe, and later, gave birth to Thomas Rolfe; and,

WHEREAS, Pocahontas singlehandedly changed the future course of world history through her diplomatic voyage to England with her husband and son; and,

WHEREAS, Pocahontas cemented her influence on the investors of the Virginia Company by dying in England, her funeral and burial on March 21, 1617 at St. George’s Church in Gravesend, England, forever ending her attempt to return home; and,

WHEREAS, Pocahontas has continued to captivate the imaginations of Virginians and Americans for centuries, including many representations across the Virginia Capitol grounds and in the United States Capitol;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize March 21, 2022 as a DAY OF HONOR FOR POCAHONTAS, and call this observance to the attention of our citizens as a day to celebrate her example as a patron of peace and cross-cultural understanding.