Pauline Wills

Emily Pauline Johnson (1861-1913), also known by her Mohawk name Tekahionwake, was a prominent Canadian poet, author, and performer. Born to a Mohawk chief father and an English immigrant mother, she navigated and celebrated her dual heritage in her creative output. Johnson gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with her poetry and stories published internationally. She is recognized as a significant figure in defining Canadian literature and leaving a lasting impact on Indigenous women's literature and theatre.

Her career included extensive stage performances where she adopted distinct personas, one representing her Indigenous background and the other her English heritage. This theatrical approach, combined with her evocative writing, resonated with audiences. Despite a decline in her literary reputation after her death, there has been a resurgence of interest in her life and works in recent decades, with a comprehensive collection of her poetry published in 2002. Her literary legacy includes notable poetry collections and story compilations.

Emily Pauline Johnson was born in 1861 at Chiefswood on the Six Nations reserve in Ontario, Canada. Her father was a hereditary Mohawk chief, and her mother was an English immigrant. Johnson's upbringing was influenced by both Mohawk traditions and Victorian English customs. While her father encouraged an understanding of both her Indigenous and English backgrounds, her mother instilled discipline and emphasized social presentation. Legally considered wards of the Crown under Canadian law, the Johnson children held a unique position. However, within Mohawk society, where identity is matrilineal, they did not belong to a Mohawk clan, which limited their participation in certain community and ceremonial aspects.

Johnson received a largely informal education, primarily at home, supplemented by governesses and self-study from her family's extensive library. She developed a deep appreciation for classic English poets like Byron and Milton, as well as Indigenous narratives such as Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha." Her paternal grandfather, John Smoke Johnson, played a significant role in her education, sharing traditional Indigenous oral stories. Johnson absorbed his dramatic storytelling talents, which later informed her own elocution and stage performances. Although she expressed regret later in life for not learning more of her grandfather's Mohawk heritage and language, these early influences profoundly shaped her literary and theatrical work.

During the 1880s, Johnson began her career in amateur theatre, eventually turning to professional performance to support her family. A pivotal moment occurred in 1892 when she captivated an audience with her recitation of "A Cry from an Indian Wife," launching a 15-year stage career. She developed a unique two-part performance act, embodying both her Indigenous identity as Tekahionwake and a Victorian English woman. This theatrical presentation, drawing on both her Mohawk and English influences, was immensely popular. Johnson also pursued a prolific literary career, publishing poems and short stories that explored her mixed heritage. Her work gained international recognition, contributing to the burgeoning field of Canadian literature.

“Women are fonder of me than men are. I have had none fail me, and I hope I have failed none. It is a keen pleasure for me to meet a congenial woman, one that I feel will understand me, and will in turn let me peep into her own life- having confidence in me, that is one of the dearest things between friends, strangers, acquaintances, or kindred.”

“I may act till the world grows wild and tense”