Pauline Johnson: Know Who I Am

The poet, performer and author Pauline Johnson was born on the Six Nations Reserve in near Brantford, Ontario in 1861. Her life and work were tied up with questions of identity. Her Mohawk stage name, Tekahionwake, means "double life." Was Johnson American, British, or Canadian? Was she Mohawk, English, or "Mixed"? In the end, Johnson added up her assets and liabilities and decided that the Pauline the world would see would be "Pauline the Performance Artist"-"Pauline on Stage."

As for the ...