Total Number Of Pages: 1
Source: Scanned from the original photograph which is 10 inches in height and 8 inches in width.
Language: English
Coverage: Unknown
Creators:
Red Thunder Cloud [Cromwell Ashbie Hawkins West]
Rights: No Known Copyright Restrictions
Description: The reverse reads:
"This is a very interesting photo of Pocahontas Pharoah who was a princess of the royal family of the Montauk tribe. Here she appears as a young lady dressed in the style of the late nineteenth century. In Set No. 1 (Photo 1) Princess Pocahontas appears in her tribal costume in 1940 which was taken back of Clinton Academy in East Hampton of Founder's Day.
She was born February 15, 1878 on the Montauk Reservation at Indian Field, Montauk Point, Long Island, just one year before the reservation was sold. She was the youngest daughter of King David Pharoah and Queen Maria Fowler Pharoah of the Montauk tribe. She learned beadwork and "Scrub" making and remembered hearing some of the older people converse in Montauk when she was growing up.
Her home was visited many times by people in all walks of life. She was the most photographed of the Montauk Indians of the 20th century. She enjoyed the prestige of being the last Montauk to have been born on the reservation.
It is regrettable that in later years, a feud between the Fowlers and the Pharoahs that had its origin around 1800, was still kept up among the surviving members of these families in East Hampton. Each was oblivious to the others existence. I can recall while cutting wood for Pocahontas in her yard, that Jake Fowler her cousin, would walk by greet me and ignore her. At other times, he would walk by and ignore us both. The feud between the rivals of the two families ignited again in 1874 when William Fowler and his family accused David Pharoah of buying the votes of other tribesmen which, enabled him to become King. The Fowlers realizing that the king of the tribe always came from the Pharoah family through descendants were able in 1874 to convince members of the tribe that the king should be elected by votes.
The Pharoahs agreed to this election but were defeated by King David whom they accused of buying votes of other Montauks.
Pocahontas Pharoah died on February 6, 1963 at the age of 84 years."
