Canadian Born (Paperback or Softback)

Canadian Born (1895) is a collection of poems by E. Pauline Johnson. Revered as one the foremost indigenous Canadian poets of her time, Johnson was a prolific writer whose works explored her Mohawk heritage while shedding light on the racism and persecution faced by indigenous peoples across North America. Canadian Born captures Johnson’s range as a poet in tune with the Romantic tradition without erasing her dualistic sense of identity as a woman of Mohawk and English heritage. Introducing her collection with a brief inscription, the poet lays out the political purpose of her work addressed to all “Canadian born” individuals, “whether he be [her] paleface compatriot who has given to [her] his right hand of good fellowship,” or “that dear Red brother of whatsoever tribe or Province.” No matter the identity of her reader, Johnson hopes to show them that “White Race and Red are one if they are but Canadian born.” Whether or not she succeeds in her mission is up to the reader to decide, and yet the beauty and power of her poetry cannot be denied. Personal and political, patriotic and critical of colonial misdeeds, Johnson captures as much as she can of the Canadian experience, paying equal regard to a mariner longing to return to “the sea, the hungry sea” and an Indian corn husker with “Age in her fingers, hunger in her face, / Her shoulders stooped with weight of work and years.” This edition of E. Pauline Johnson’s Canadian Born is a classic of Canadian literature reimagined for modern readers.

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E. Pauline Johnson (1861-1913) was a Canadian poet and actress. Also known by her stage name Tekahionwake, Johnson was born to an English mother and a Mohawk father in Six Nations, Ontario. Johnson suffered from illness as a child, keeping her from school and encouraging her self-education through the works of Longfellow, Tennyson, Browning, Byron, and Keats. Despite the racism suffered by Canada’s indigenous people, Johnson was encouraged to learn about her Mohawk heritage, much of which came from her paternal grandfather John Smoke Johnson, who shared with her and her siblings his knowledge of the oral tradition of their people. In the 1880s, Johnson began acting and writing for small theater productions, finding success in 1892 with a popular solo act emphasizing her duel heritage. In these performances, Johnson would wear both indigenous and Victorian English costumes, reciting original poetry for each persona. As a poet, she wrote prolifically for such periodicals as Globe and Saturday Night, publishing her first collection, The White Wampum, in 1895. Her death at the age of 52 prompted an outpouring of grief and celebration in Canada; at the time, Johnson’s funeral was the largest in Vancouver history, attracting thousands of mourners from all walks of life.