More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
One of the most distinctive Native American faces ever to grace English shores has returned to her final resting place.
A mural dedicated to the memory of Princess Pocahontas has appeared in Queen Street, Gravesend.
The artwork was put together by street artists from the 1717 Alliance, a local artist group which has been working with Gravesham council to brighten up dull areas.
It has also been used as the backdrop for various music videos shot by local talent scouts, GTown Talents.
The mural is not the first tribute to the Christian convert and American trailblazer.
A Grade II listed-bronze statue of the Disney-featured princess stands in St George’s Church graveyard to mark her final resting place. She died here, aged 22, in 1617.
The life-size monument was first listed in 1975 and relisted again in 2017 to mark 400 years since her death.
It updated the entry to include a full history and description of the role Pocahontas played in English and American history during the founding of modern America.
Gravesend has long been a place of pilgrimage for American visitors.
Legend has it Pocahontas saved English explorer Captain Smith's life when he was threatened with execution by her father's tribe.
The council's director for communities, Melanie Norris, says the the new artwork is well placed.
She said: “The fences painted with the mural surround the refuse area for the market and it is passed by many people on a daily basis. We have already received many positive messages from residents and visitors."
