Pauline Johnson Monument

On the far end of Stanley Park Drive, close to the Tea House Restaurant and above Third Beach, there is a monument and plaque dedicated to Pauline Johnson, the Mohawk Princess who specifically requested in her will that no such memorial be built.
Pauline Johnson is widely accepted as the starting point for aboriginal writing in B.C. Born in Ontario in 1891, of mixed race and to a fairly affluent family, she was formally educated as a member of the English middle class, and also heavily influenced by the teachings of her grandfather, Chief Sakayenwaraton. A successfully published poet by her early 20s, she also wrote in other formats, spent time in the theatre, advocated for Native land claims, and was political in other ways.
In 1909, with fading health, she announced she would be ‘retiring’ to Vancouver to focus on her writing, which she did until her death in 1913. She was cremated and her remains scattered in Stanley Park, as per her request. Much loved by Chief Capilano and the Squamish people, she was responsible for collecting and publishing many of the local Native stories in the publication «Legends of Vancouver», which she had hoped to title «Legends of the Capilanos», wishing to recognise the authorship of the stories to their originators, Chief Capilano and his family. She did not get her wish.
The monument has been stripped and desecrated a few times over the years. It was refurbished in 1981 and remains a quiet and much overlooked memorial, one of many in Stanley Park. Given the poet’s wish that she not be memorialised in this fashion, do not feel bad if you’ve not visited. This she would have perhaps preferred. Instead you can visit your local library or enjoy some of her works online. Or cast your mind to how important it is to honour and capture the heritage this country has, and note how we as residents have often tried to rework history to our own fashion and liking.