PAULINE JOHNSON - NATIVE POETESS

For the first half of her recitals, Pauline wore a costume she had made herself and portrayed her as the Indian Princess that she was. It was made of buckskin, rabbit's fur and was embellished with Mohawk metalwork, her father's knife, wampum belts, feathers and two scalps. She wore a necklace of bear claws and the newspapers often reported she wore a bracelet of elk's teeth and mountain lions' claws presented to her by naturalist Ernest Thompson Seth.

In this part of the program, Pauline recited dramatic poems about Native subjects. In the second part of her recitals, she would appear in an evening gown and recite patriotic poems and short plays.

Pauline loved her parents very much. Her first book, The White Wampum, was dedicated to them. In her book The Moccasin Maker, she describes her parents' engagement and marriage. She also published a third book My Mother. She regarded them as perfect parents. She gave them credit for her pride in her Mohawk heritage and for her love of reading.

While traveling, Pauline wrote poems for her second poetry collection, Canadian Born. She also wrote political stories for newspapers. Her work appeared in Saturday Night, The Boys World and The Mother's Magazine, as well as in the Brantford Expositor. These stories were based on Native legends though Pauline was known to embellish them to make the stories more exciting for her readers. Pauline sold her first poem for $3.00 and was never able to make much money from her writings. To support herself, she toured Canada and the United States. She often had to arrange publicity and accommodations herself.

After a series of successful performances in Canada and the United States, Pauline saved enough money to go to England. She planned to find a London publisher to print her first book of poetry. To pay her expenses, Pauline gave recitals at parties of wealthy society hostesses. When she found her publisher, she returned home. She brought much of her collection of Native masks, blankets and other memorabilia with her. She surprised one interviewer with her vast knowledge of Mohawk traditions, history and legends.

In 1907, Pauline grew tired of touring. She hoped to settle in London, England and write full-time. Her hopes were dashed when, during a second tour, the British

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