E. Pauline Johnson

Born Emily Pauline Johnson at Chiefswood on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario, she was the daughter of a Mohawk chief, George Henry Martin Johnson, and Emily Susanna Howells, who came from an English family. She was also known by her Mohawk name, Tekahionwake, and grew up with both English literary influences and Mohawk history and storytelling.

After her father died, she turned increasingly to writing and performing to support her family. She became famous for reciting her own poems in Canada, the United States, and Britain, often appearing first in clothing inspired by Mohawk tradition and then in evening dress. That stage presence made her one of the best-known literary performers of her era.

Her books include The White Wampum, Canadian Born, and Legends of Vancouver. Her poems and prose often explored Indigenous identity, love of place, and the tensions of life between cultures. Though her reputation changed over time, she remains an important figure in Canadian literature and in the history of Indigenous writing in English.