I remember being introduced to Pauline Johnson in middle school with a reading of her poem 'The Song My Paddle Sings'. Her work was relevant where I grew up, in the boreal forest at the edge of the Churchill River, and her words really touched me deeply. Pauline was a Mohawk-Dutch poet and performer who began writing in her teens and who was raised to learn of the heritage of both sides of her family. Through her writing, she strove to connect Indigenous and Caucasian people while honouring the land and her Canadian heritage. I am glad that my upbringing in the north focused on First Nations' people and the culture that is often neglected in education and am also glad that this is changing.
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