A Free Spirit

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inE Pauline Johnson, Poetry, VancouverTags:, ,

 

Two Lives

Pauline Johnson captured the hearts and imaginations of her audience.  A talented writer, she possessed an uncanny ability to understand the needs, desires, and dreams of an unpredictable public. Early in her career, she recognized the power of combining theatre and literary endeavours to craft a vibrant and dynamic performance.  Pauline developed a her stage persona by dressing in tradition First Nation garments and using her father’s artifact collection that included such items as wampum belts and spiritual masks in her presentations.

Living during the last vestiges of the Victorian Age, Pauline Johnson was not defined by gender, but by an acceptance of her humanity.  While not directly involved, her activities positioned her in the forefront of the women’s suffragette movement.   Despite forces for change, women had few options for self-determination in the late 1800’s.  Society was doggedly rigid, accepting only those who would abide by clearly outlined rules of conduct.  Choices were limited to matrimony, striving for equality, or living a life outside of conventional norms.   Pauline Johnson’s unique ancestry offered a viable alternative.  Two cultures, two societies and two worldviews provided the necessary foundation for moving freely within a confined social structure.

The Corn Husker

Hard by the Indian lodges, where the bush
Breaks in a clearing, through ill-fashioned fields,
She comes to labour, when the first still hush
Of autumn follows large and recent yields.

Age in her fingers, hunger in her face,
Her shoulders stooped with weight of work and years,
But rich in tawny colouring of her race,
She comes a-field to strip the purple ears.

And all her thoughts are with the days gone by,
Ere might’s injustice banished from their lands
Her people, that to-day unheeded lie,
Like the dead husks that rustle through her hands.

Emily Pauline Johnson

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

18 thoughts on “A Free Spirit”

  1. I don’t know if it’s a tribute to her upbringing, her own spirit or Canadian society at that time but as a child of mixed cultures it’s fascinating that she thrived. I am trying to understand this in relation to say Australia during a certain era, a later time, when attempts were made to make mixed race children ‘white’. For example, the story told in the film Rabbit Proof Fence.

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    1. Canada has had “residential school” issues as well. Pauline Johnson thrived because she was able to anticipate the mood of society and respond with a message that they could understand. Stay tuned for my next post…

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    1. Thank you for you visit and heartwarming comments! Sunshine in Vancouver so I was able to take my camera out for a walk yesterday. Spring has come…

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    1. The anthology that I would recommend is “Flint and Feather: The Complete Poems of E. Pauline Johnson” (Tekahionwake)

      You can find the book in hardcover form on Amazon for about $30. I live in Canada and have a Kobo (like a Kindle). I was able to download this book for free along with “Vancouver Legends” and “The Shagganappi” via Chapters/Indigo books.

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