Edward Norton discovers Pocahontas is his 12th great-grandmother

American actor Edward Norton (53) has been identified as the 12th descendant of Pocahontas (1596-1617), the daughter of a Native American chief. According to CNN on the 4th (local time), Norton discovered this by appearing on Season 9 of the PBS history show “Finding Your Roots.” Historian Henry Louis Gates, the program host, explained, "There is a direct paper trail left in the documents, confirm‎ing the relationship between Norton and his 12th great-grandmother Pocahontas." The genealogy runs from Pocahontas' son, Thomas, born in 1615, to Norton. "It makes you realize what a small piece of the human story you are," Norton said.

Pocahontas is the daughter of the Powhatan Chiefdom, who ruled a confederation of Native American tribes in the eastern United States. In 1614 she married English pioneer John Rolfe in Jamestown, Virginia, and in 1616 she moved to London, England, where she became a social celebrity.

Telling of British Captain John Smith, in which he was saved by Pocahontas right before he was captured and set to be executed by the Powhatan natives, was later revealed through a book by Smith. This served as an opportunity to increase exchanges between the settlers and the natives. In 1995, Walt Disney made an animation film, “Pocahontas,” based on this story.


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