In the heart of Stanley Park lies the E. Pauline Johnson Memorial. Johnson was a prominent Canadian-Indian poet, author, and performer. Also known by her Mohawk stage name Tekahionwake.
She was born in 1861 to an English mother and a Mohawk chief father. At an early age, she began writing poems and dreamed of becoming an actress. However, her mother suppressed her dream. When her father passed away, she moved with her mother and sister to Brantford and wrote and published poems to support her family. Her poetry portrayed Indigenous culture, folklore, connection to the land, and “traditional” topics, such as love, landscapes, and Canadian life. In a reading event when she was 31 years old, she discovered her talent to perform poetry, and she started touring Canada with her show. Her popularity grew, and she performed all over North America and England.
At 48, Johnson retired from the stage and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. She continued writing poems and Squamish folklore stories. Four years later, Johnson passed away from Breast Cancer. She was only 52 years old.
Johnson loved Stanley Park. She used to canoe in Burrard Inlet when she lived nearby. When she requested burial there, the cemetery was not active, so her body had to be cremated. Her ashes lie beneath her memorial.
The Women’s Canadian Club funded the cairn, and the plaque on the stone commemorates their contribution – “Erected in 1922 by the Women’s Canadian Club of Vancouver.”
Her face is carved on the largest stone, and the nearby inscription reads “E Pauline Johnson 1861 – 1913.”
Another dedication to her reads- “In memory of one whose life and writings were an uplift and a blessing to our nation.”
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