"When a Coast Indian consents to tell you a legend he will, without
variation, begin it with, 'It was before the white people came.' The
natural thing for you then to ask is, 'But who were here then?' He will
reply, 'Indians, and just the trees, and animals, and fishes, and a few
birds.'" With a tinge of superstition and an underlying lesson that
every tale wants to convey, Johnson captures her peoples' beliefs: the
importance of companionship and family bonds, the extraordinary gift of
parenthood and never to be forgotten eulogies about brave warriors. Even
though their world is gone, these stories keep the legends alive. All
you need to do is let your heart believe in something that your mind
might take some time to embrace. Emily Pauline Johnson (1861-1913), also
known by her Mohawk name Tekahionwake (literally: 'double-life'), had a
major impact on Canadian as well as Native American literature. Her
English mother and her Mohawk father raised her in both their cultures
equally which influenced her own literary works and are essential for
her far-reaching success.