E. Pauline Johnson

Biography

Emily Pauline Johnson (1861–1913), also known by her Mohawk stage name Tekahionwake, was a Canadian poet, writer, and performer of Mohawk and English heritage. She was one of Canada's most popular performers and writers in the late nineteenth century, touring extensively across Canada, the United States, and England. Johnson's work draws on both her Indigenous and English-Canadian heritage, advocating for Indigenous rights while appealing to mainstream audiences. Legends of Vancouver (1911) preserves the oral stories of the Squamish people as told to her by Chief Joe Capilano, making it an important work of Indigenous literary preservation.