Artifact #9: Pauline Johnson and Women of Colour

Citation:  Library and Archives Canada, Pauline Johnson, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/pauline-johnson.

Label:

While discussing women's suffrage we must reflect on the Women of Colour who fought for women's rights and equality. One of these important faces is Pauline Johson. Pauline was born on 10 March 1861 in the Six Nations Reserve. Pauline was a mix of Mohawk and European. Pauline made it a goal to stay in touch with her Indigenous roots and challenge norms by using her poetry, writing, and performance skills. She knew the restrictive policies and challenges that the Indian Act placed on Indigenous women and the loss of identity many Indigenous women felt during this time. Johnson made efforts to speak and represent this in her poetry and performances. Johnson challenged societal norms in many ways, as she was a racialized and unmarried woman who was using art and performance as a job. She inspired many other women and indigenous women around her to challenge society and to speak for what you believe in.

Bibliography:

Robinson, Amanda. “Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake).” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 14 Apr. 2008, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/pauline-johnson.