Jameston, Dakota Meika

[Dakota Meika Jameston]

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dakota meika jameston

* tell us a little about yourself.

Hey stranger. My name is Dakota Meika Jameston, but most people call me Koda for short. I don't really mind what you call me because the chances are that I'll respond to almost anything. I got my name, Dakota, from my mother who used to live out in the South Dakota plains before moving to East Coast where she met my father. I was born and raised in Virginia, right along the Potomac River - I love it there. My father was the sheriff of our small town and my mom was known by all. Oh, I'm twenty years old, my birthday is June ninth, and I just recently moved to Walten to continue interning as a wildlife photographer. I swear I could be outside all day, I never get sick of mother nature.

* what are some of your positive traits?

My positive traits? I must say that I see everything for what it truly is and I'll accept it - good, bad, or indifferent. I don't judge a book by it's cover, or I at least try not to. I give everybody and everything a chance to show me who they really are, but I'm already a great judge of character. I see what most people don’t see in others and that’s their positive traits. Society gets too caught up in trying to catch somebody in a lie and whatnot. The way I see it, we’re all good people living in a world that’s far too critical. If we could all take the time to just relax and clear our mind then we could truly see people for who they really are - not what we want or expect them to be. But maybe that’s just too good to be true for some, but for me it’s how I live my life.

Not everybody may see it as a positive, but I’m a free spirit. I break free from the chains of the 9-5 world and do things my way, when I want. No, I’m not disrespectful towards authority, but I don’t let social norms dictate my life. I love to feel the wind against my face and the grass beneath my toes. Unfortunately I mostly feel nothing but concrete beneath my feet and the glare of street lights on my eyes. So I guess I just don’t care to live my life the way most people think I should live it. If I want to jump into a creek and skip working then so be it. I’m not one of those people who an be tied down, which may seem negative. However, I’m able to say I’ve lived and experienced what the world, the natural world, has to offer me. How many people can say that? Not anybody even I know. Well, not everybody can be as curious as I am. Almost everything interests me and I have this natural urge to go and investigate anything and everything. Not everybody sees it as a good thing, but I do! How else could we discover anything if we weren't curious? Sure, it could happen on accident, but my curiosity is bred into me and I just have to know what's out in the world.

Not to sound conceited, which it might, but I have a huge heart - bigger than I even know. Sometimes I even surprise myself on what I’m capable of doing for others. My mother taught me that as a human species we are all brothers and sisters. I will never turn a blind eye to somebody in need, no matter what they’ve done in their past. I bend over backwards to promote humanitarianism through my actions. My father calls it “leading by example”. I guess it’s an old cop thing he picked up through all his years on the force, but the philosophy has stuck with me since I was little. I don’t stop helping at just other humans, but I help animals, plants, and even contribute to preserving wildlife parks. After all, we only have one world. Anyway, yes, I have a naturally giving personality, but I also like to encourage others to do better for themselves. I’ll help people get as far as I can until I see that they’re capable of standing on their own two feet. So yeah, that beating organ in my chest - it knows no bounds.

* what are some things that you can improve on?

Don’t worry, I definitely have my flaws. Remember how I said I have a big heart? Yeah, it’s not always a good thing. People take advantage of that and I get trampled on sometimes. I need to learn to toughen up when it comes to following my heart - it’s as if I listen to it more than my mind. My father hasn’t always been pleased with this because I stray from his ideals and create my own. As much as I want to change this about myself, I know I can’t. My heart is one powerful thing and my mind is losing the war against my emotions. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no idiot, but sometimes I know should be taking the wiser road instead of the ‘loving’ road. Every time I do use my brain over my heart, I get the gut instinct that I’m doing something wrong. So I need to start switching that around and not letting my hormones and emotions be my guide. That’ll be quite interesting if I do manage to use my brain as the decision maker instead of a fact retainer. I’m sure my father will love when that day comes.

Authority, I have a problem with this. Not in an outright sort of way, but I hate following the norms. I don’t want anybody dictating my life. Granted I have plenty of respect for those with authority, like my father, but I choose to ‘politely’ decline their ideals and instead live according to my own. This does get me into a bit of trouble from to time. What can I say? I’m just naturally curious! I like to push the limits and see just how far I can go before I get a finger pointed in my face and a slap on the wrist. I’m no criminal or anything, but I am extremely stubborn. I like to say I get that from my father because, like him, I'm very stuck in my ways. You can preach to me all you want about any given thing and the chances are I'll probably end up doing what I want. Yeah, I’d like to work on becoming a bit more ‘mainstream’ when it comes to how I live, but I don’t know how to live any other way. It’d probably be beneficial to me if I could somehow learn to accept the regulations to life, but so far, not so good. Maybe in time I’ll straighten up. That comes with maturity, right? Gosh, I hope so, for my father’s sake at least.

Hmm, I don’t really enjoy picking out the negative in me. Hey, maybe that’s it! I can be entirely too positive sometimes. So much so that I tend to blind myself from the real problems going on in the world. I guess that makes me blissfully ignorant to the outside world that I don’t see. I’m almost too content in how I live and that closes my mind in seeing things from a new perspective. Wow, I never even really thought about this, but I guess we all have times of reflection. I need to open my eye up to the world around me and venture outside of my own ideals - no matter how hard that might be. Even the thought of that is a bit intimidating, but it’s definitely something I can handle experiencing. Gosh, it’s a really big world out there and I’ve been confined to such a small part of it, a part I consider perfect. However, I don’t know if exposing myself to the negative will have any lasting benefit on me. Well, it’ll definitely make me appreciate what I have so much more. It’s worth it.

Going off what I just stated, I've come to realize how truly naive I am. The fact that I'm so used to living inside this little bubble demonstrates that I know nothing of what is outside of what I call home. In a way I don't even want to know what's on the other side of the fence. From what I hear, the world is a 'scary' place and personally it doesn't sound appealing at all. There's no way around it - I know nothing about this world, just the small portion I've had the time to explore. It's almost embarrassing because at my age people expect me to know what is out there. I think it's time to grow up and open my eye to what's going on around me.

* what's your biggest secret? we won't tell.

My biggest secret? I’m not sure if it’s really a secret or not, but my father is very adamant on me starting a relationship with some young cop back home. Apparently this young man is supposed take up after my father and become the next sheriff or something of the sort. I don’t have the heart to tell my father that I have no interest in the man he’s picked out for me. I’m a big girl and I can make my own decisions. I want to marry for love and not status. I feel bad though, my father has done an excellent job raising me on his own and I know it’d mean the world to him if I ended up with somebody he liked for me. I just do it though and that’s exactly why I moved to North Carolina. Well, one of the reasons at least. I needed to separate myself from that small town and give myself a chance at finding the life that’s best for me. Don’t tell me father, please. He’s going to be so disappointed if I ever decline a relationship with that man and I can’t bare to put him through that. So I’ll just avoid the entire situation until then..

* what does your heart want?

My heart wants to be happy, truly and fully. Getting married and having children is always on my mind, but that will happen in time. I’d love to find a man that understands my ideals and can accept my free going attitude. You’d think it wouldn’t be too hard to find, but it really is. Everybody thinks I’m some sort of savage because I’m always out in the wood, I think they forget I’m a wildlife photographer. Either way, I’d love to be happy with somebody. It’s lonely just going along in life by myself, but I’m patient and I know he’s out there somewhere. I’m definitely not going to rush anything or trick myself into falling in love with somebody who isn’t right for me - I’d love for my father to know that! I don’t want some ‘picture perfect’ romance though, I need something out of the ordinary and full of spontaneity. I want to feel alive and be able to just be myself, good or bad. Relationships are tricky though, so I’d prefer to have one that’s simple - I love him and he loves me, enough said. Yeah, that sounds like my kind of perfect. I could never be with somebody who wasn’t willing to experience new things and just get lost in the world. I’d love to meet a guy who could laugh, stay out in the sun all day, and teach me new things. Yep, that’s exactly what I want to be honest.

* what do you do in your spare time?

My hobbies? Gosh, I have plenty! I could go on all day, but to wrap it up simple in one overall category; I love being outside. Being inside can make me too restless and I get cabin fever within six hours. I guess my profession as a wildlife photographer only encourages me to spend endless amounts of time outside in the shade and under the glare of the sun. I feel like there’s so much more I can do outside: hiking, running, swimming, canoeing, camping, bird watching, and nearly anything else! The outdoors is a natural physical and mental challenge that is constantly changing. The rewards are endless as well. How often do you see a rainbow after defeating a game? Those materialistic rewards aren’t even comparable to the beauty of this world. Ever since I can remember I’ve spent more time barefoot and outside than doing anything else. I’ve been on the back of a horse since before I could walk and I’m betting at navigating through a forest than I am through a city. The outdoors forces me to get in touch with myself through all sorts of activities and it’s the one playground I could never get bored of.

* so what does your family life look like?

There’s not much to say about my family - we’re quite small. In fact it’s just me and my father. My mother died when I was very young so I never did get to spend much time with her. From what I do remember, she was a beautiful woman with the kindest expression you could ever see. I remember her being so gentle with me that I sometimes forgot she was even around. I miss her and I wish I could still hear the sound of her voice. My father took the loss of my mother very hard, I knew, but he never showed it. He raised me to be the best person I possibly could be. He’s strict, stubborn, and set in his ways, but he’s more than lovely. Behind his deep brown eyes is a compassionate, caring soul who wants nothing but the best for me. Without him I would be completely and totally lost in this life. I cherish that man more than anything in the world. My little family of two is bound the tightest knot that anybody could ever bind and there’s nothing that could untie it. Blood is thicker than water and my father is my lifeline. That’s all I have to say about my father. I do have a dog named Bingo that I consider family, he’s always by my side.

* what are the memorable moments in your life?

My mother’s death isn’t something I consider ’memorable’, but I will never forget it. I knew she was very sick, but I was too young to understand the extent of it. I thought maybe she’d visit the doctor and sleep in for a few days. I sort of ignored her for awhile, thinking maybe she was contagious or something and that I’d better keep my distance. I had no idea what ’cancer’ even meant, but it sounded like some sort of nasty flu. I wish they had done a better job of explaining it to me because maybe then I would taken advantage of the time she had left. I didn’t though. I was five or close to it when my mother was admitted to the hospital. My father took her and I was left at home with the neighbor as a babysitter. My father would call and check in on me throughout the course of the following two days until he came home and picked me up. I remember the hospital smelling like an obnoxious amount of bleach and watching people with tears in their eyes walk by. There was such a sense of sadness to this place and I didn’t like it at all. I can recall the look on my mother’s face when I jumped up on her hospital bed - her eyes were so bright, but the rest of her body could react quite the same way as her smile. Her smile was so infectious that I just burst into laughter and so did she. I think we sat there for about five minute just giggling and snuggling. I still had no idea what was happening, but she tried to explain to me that she’d be going to heaven and even though I wouldn’t be able to see her, that I could still hear her. I thought it was some sort of game, so I just smiled and nodded. She died a week later while I was at pre-school.

Most of my life after that is quite memorable. My father was silent for days at a time and I often sat alone in my room. But life soon began to pick up again and my dad became himself. Now, having an only father leaves plenty of memorable times. He wasn’t quite used to be so attentive to me and at one day we were at a pumpkin patch. It was October and we were getting ready for Halloween, but I was more into finding more adventure. I zipped away from the grasp of my father’s hand and darted into the nearby corn maze determined to find the exit. My father noticed about ten minutes too late. Embarrassingly for my father, I navigated my way through the maze faster than he could. He ran around like a blind man in a panic screaming my name. The look on his face when he found me at the exit of the maze was something I’ll never forget. I swear I’ve given that man almost every single one of his gray hairs, but I’m sure he wouldn’t want it any other way. At least I like to think that.

So I’m a photographer and one of the most pinnacle moments of my life came during one of my shoot outings. I was nestled up in the Appalachian Mountains snapping shots of birds and just enjoying the early morning sun. I guess it was about 7 a.m. when I stumbled across the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. A female black bear and her two cubs were emerging from their winter den for the time to enjoy the spring. I remember just sitting up on a rock about fifteen yards away and snapping pictures as the cubs explored the world for the first time. Most people wouldn’t think to be a memorable thing, but I swear that mother black bear looked me in the eye. That was the most powerful thing I’ve ever felt, it brought me back to my own mother and how she had worn the same look in her eyes. It left me speechless and I can’t even begin to describe the emotions I felt from it. Sometimes nature is more powerful than we give it credit for, even if it’s just the look an animal possesses. That was the day I realized that us, as a planet, are all connected in one way or another. The picture I capture of that bear’s eye went on to get me an internship with a top photographer. I’ll never forget that.

* so we've heard that you're a lot like pocahontas

name:

Dakota was taken as a representation as the North and South Dakota plains which was home to an assortment of Native American tribes. It was an attempt to stray from Pocahontas' true name Matoaka. The middle name Meika is a take off of Meeko, Pocahontas' raccoon sidekick. I changed up the spelling and to add a feminine flair I took off the 'o' and changed it to 'a'. As for her last lame Jameston - it's a direct link to the city in which Pocahontas actually lived, Jamestown. Obviously I just dropped the 'w' .

play by:

Nikki Reed is a young girl whose mother is actually half Cherokee indian. This heritage gives Nikki the olive, dark colored skin that Pocahontas possesses along with the dark, flowing hair. Nikki also has the same dark shade eyes with the classic almond shape to them. Her body is slim and athletic, easily comparable to Pocahontas' own figure as she stealthily navigates through the woods. However, Nikki also has the free spirit that Disney Princess has. She follows her heart, no matter where it takes her and is quite rebellious towards authority. Plus, look at those icons - they have the same curious smirk!

positive traits:

Dakota is just as inquisitive and curious as Pocahontas. She defies the rules set by society and goes about living on her own terms. Her heart is her guide and her conscious mind seems to come secondary, despite knowing the trouble or danger she could get involved in. She has respect for everything that surrounds her and immerses herself in a natural world untainted by any outsiders, much like Pocahontas did. She refuses to follow the dreams others have for her and instead makes it known that she wants something different, even if it is controversial. Pocahontas was intended to have an arranged marriage, much like Dakota’s relationship with a young cop, but she knows there’s more to the world and she won’t settle until she has explored it all. Dakota’s heart is also almost too big for her carry as was Pocahontas’. They both possess a pure, innocent, and even naïve mindset that has kept them sheltered from the outside world.

negative traits:

In the movie, Pocahontas doesn’t seem to have too many bad qualities. Therefore I was left to invent some of my own. I manipulated some of her good qualities to become something that could possibly hinder her in some way or be seen as a fault. Her defiance against authority is clearly seen in the movie so I embellished that while creating some other downfalls. Her naivety to the world is something that could possible cause trouble in the future as are following her emotions instead of mind. That clearly got her into a bit of predicament when she fell in love with John Smith and had to expose her love for him in a dramatic fashion in order to save his life. So that certainly is something that is now open to happening to Dakota since she too lets her heart be her guide - as Grandmother Willow suggests.

orientation:

This was all very obvious. Pocahontas falls in love with John Smith, clearly implying she is heterosexual. So it was with that in mind that I decided to make Dakota heterosexual as well, as it was the best way to stay true to the character. Even though some people would suggest she was bisexual because she was close with her friend, Nakoma.

turn ons:

It only seems logical that Dakota and Pocahontas would get along best with somebody who also interested in a similar lifestyle to her own. Somebody that can be outdoors for long hours with her would be ideal. Also somebody she could learn from, because as seen in Pocahontas II, she travels to the “new world” and learns a whole new way of life. So the perfect match would be a man that can live a natural lifestyle and still expose her to new ideas.

turn offs:

Pocahontas seems like the type who could love anybody, as long as her heart was truly with that person. Kocoum is a great example of somebody who lives Pocahontas’ lifestyle, but she simply doesn’t feel that love for him. Instead she falls for a complete stranger with a different way of life, but he respects her and her values. The same goes for Dakota, she’s not particularly picky but she knows if she’s truly meant to be with somebody or not.

spare time:

Pocahontas is always outside running around with Meeko and Flit, swimming with the river otters, running with the wolves, and simply exploring the forest. She never seems to be within the village just mingling with others - she’s constantly out and about. Dakota is the same way, but instead of a raccoon named Meeko, she has a dog named Bingo. Growing up she was always outside and now her profession as an outdoor photographer ensures that she remains outside. Dakota could never stay in her house long and certainly could never work a 9-5 office job.

family life:

Pocahontas was raised by her father, Chief Powhatan, after her mother died when Pocahontas was just a child. The bond between father and daughter is quite evident throughout the movie, so Dakota’s story follows the same guidelines. She too lost her mother at a young age, to cancer, and was raised by her father - Sheriff of their smalltown home in Virginia; the same state in which Pocahontas lived. Dakota and her father are very close and she would do anything for him - almost anything at least. She cherishes her father for everything he did for her after the absence of her mother.

memorable moments:

Not much is revealed about Pocahontas’ past aside from the passing of her mother. So I played with a few things here, but decided to bring in the bond with her father. Obviously being raised in a single parent environment is quite different from having two parents. So those would certainly stand out to Dakota in the same way it would Pocahontas. Obviously the stronger of those two memories being the passing of her mother, but simply because it’s something so tragic to experience as such a young age. Dakota’s memorable moment with the black bears signifies the song ‘colors of the wind’ and how everything in the world is connected. The bear gave Dakota the same look that her mother had, making the bear become an individual instead of just a ‘bear’.

[MARV !!]

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