Pocahontas is part of my family tree

From my grandpa Virgil Lee Combs to great-grandfather Gorden Clyde Combs, great-great-grandfather William Alexander Combs, great-great-great-grandfather Eilhue Jacob Combs, great-great-great-grandmother Lou Ann Baker, great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Jane Fawling, great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Nellie Lowrey, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Nancy Elizabeth Watts, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather John Francis "Old Chief" Watts, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Francis Watts, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Anne Martin, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Christian Pettus, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Ko-Okee, and finally, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Cahoca "Sister of Pocahontas" Powhatan, my lineage intertwines with the history of the Powhatan people, specifically through the sister of the famed Pocahontas.

The narrative suggests that one of Chief Japasaw's two wives was indeed Pocahontas's sister, possibly a daughter of the paramount chief Powhatan himself. Irrespective of her exact parentage, she undeniably shared a mother with Pocahontas, thereby carrying the "royal blood" that dictated inheritance within the Patawomeck tribe. This maternal lineage was of paramount importance, as it served as the basis for Wahanganoche's ascension to the Great Chiefdom of Patawomeck.

While English records remain silent on the identity of Pocahontas's mother, Patawomeck tradition identifies her as Winganuske. If this is accurate, Winganuske would also be the mother of Pocahontas's sister. Winganuske's own lineage further underscores her significance, as she was the daughter of Wahunsenacawh's sister and the paramount chief of the Patawomeck. Consequently, her daughters inherited both the Powhatan royal bloodline and descent from the Patawomeck Tribe.

Chief Japasaw, a prominent figure in this narrative, is known to have had two wives: the sister of Pocahontas and a woman named Paupauwiske. It's crucial to recognize that these were two distinct individuals. Henry Spelman, who lived within Chief Japasaw's household for over a year, attests to the existence of two separate wives. While he only provides the name of Paupauwiske, his account reinforces the presence of another wife. Spelman, having a close relationship with Chief Wahunsenacawh, never identified him as Paupauwiske's father. This suggests that Paupauwiske was not related to Wahunsenacawh or Pocahontas and was distinct from the sister of Pocahontas.

In 1613, Pocahontas, accompanied by her husband Kocoum, visited family in Passapatanzy, seeking respite from the encroaching English presence. However, their sanctuary was shattered when Captain Samuel Argall, seeking to leverage Pocahontas for peace, arrived with intentions of kidnapping her. Argall coerced Japasaw, the chief of Passapatanzy, into assisting with the capture. Japasaw and his wives, including Pocahontas's sister, played a pivotal role in convincing Pocahontas to board Argall's ship. Despite her reservations, Pocahontas yielded to her sister's tears, likely aware of the underlying danger but willing to cooperate to prevent further violence. Kocoum, Pocahontas's husband and Japasaw's younger brother, was reportedly killed by the English shortly before the kidnapping, making Japasaw's cooperation all the more perplexing. It is plausible that Japasaw and his wife, Pocahontas's sister, cooperated to prevent further bloodshed in their village.

Following her capture, Pocahontas spent a year as an English captive, eventually marrying John Rolfe and never returning to her people. Tribal history recounts that Pocahontas had a young daughter named Ka Okee at the time of her capture. In the aftermath of Kocoum's death and Pocahontas's abduction, Japasaw and his wives made the difficult decision to conceal Ka Okee's identity from the English, raising her within their own family in Passapatanzy. Ka Okee, niece to both Japasaw and his wives, was thus doubly connected to the family.

Wahanganoche, son of Japasaw and believed to be the son of Pocahontas's sister, was younger than Ka Okee and grew up with her as an elder sister. He is believed to have eventually married one of Ka Okee's daughters, further intertwining the lineages.

Ka Okee, the daughter of Pocahontas and Kocoum, was not only the niece of Japasaw but also of his wives, solidifying her connection to the Patawomeck community. With Kocoum's death believed to have occurred during Pocahontas's kidnapping in 1613, Ka Okee was left in Passapatanzy, with her mother held captive by the English.

Oral traditions from various tribes corroborate that Ka Okee remained in Passapatanzy, shielded from the English and protected by the Patawomeck Tribe. Her uncle, Chief Japasaw, and his wives served as her guardians, providing her with an adoptive family.

It is important to emphasize that Ka Okee was considered their ward, not their biological daughter. Japasaw and his wives were her guardian parents, not her biological parents. This distinction highlights the unique circumstances surrounding Ka Okee's upbringing and the role of Japasaw and his wives in ensuring her safety and well-being.