Birgit Lonnemann

Emily Pauline Johnson: Tekahionwake or The Mohawk Princess Birgit Lonnemann

Seminar paper from the year 1999 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, University of Osnabrück (Fachbereich Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften), course: Sweetgrass Grows All Around Her: Native Women In The Arts, 3 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: "Pauline Johnson's physical body died in 1913, but her spirit still communicates to us who are Native women writers. She walked the writing path clearing the brush for us to follow. And the road gets wider and closer each time a Native woman picks up her pen and puts her mark on paper." (Brant & Laronde 1996: 84). Emily Pauline Johnson seems to be the mother of all women writers of the First Nations. She is like a spiritual ancestor to all of them. Emily Pauline Johnson - the daughter of a Native Canadian father and an English mother - used the Mohawk name "Tekahionwake" which she took from her greatgrandfather Jacob Johnson. Being one of the most popular and successful entertainers and stage performers in Canada at the turn of the century, Johnson became known as the "Mohawk Princess". She was not only one of the few female writers of her time who managed to earn their living through writing and performing, but she was also the first Native poet in Canada who had her work published. I decided to divide my paper into two main parts. On the one hand, Emily Pauline Johnson's biography, her youth and her family, her career and her travels, and her identity are to be discussed. On the other hand, I will talk about Johnson's literary work, especially about "A Pagan In St. Paul's Cathedral" and "A Red Girl's Reasoning". I will finish my paper by giving a short conclusion to the topic.