Pocahontas was not alive during the 16th and/or 17th centuries.
Pocahontas ( born Matoaka , known as Amonute , 1596 -- 1617 ) was a Native American woman notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown , Virginia . In 1617 , the Rolfes set sail for Virginia , but Pocahontas died at Gravesend of unknown causes .