Writers' group launches CD to honor poet

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Pauline Johnson, or Tekahionwake (1861-1913), the well-known Mohawk-English poet and orator from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, travelled around the country performing and reciting her poetry. Now a group of writers from Six Nations are making sure her words are heard again, along with their own.

The Six Nations Writers and Chiefswood National Historic Site partnered to produce a spoken word compact disk, Our Voices-Onkwawennahson'a. The CD's release was celebrated on March 15 at Six Nations Tourism in Ohsweken, with presentations made, excerpts read, music played and a reception held. Our Voices includes two selections from the writings of Johnson and 10 original works by the Six Nations Writers, a writers' collective.

The selections include poetry, songs and prose.

Our Voices "is an educational and entertaining work of spoken literature that reflects oral tradition and strong cultural pride," said one of the organizers of the launch party, which was timed to coincide with the birthday of Johnson. The producers chose works reflecting the diversity of their group and the larger community.

The celebration was opened by Amos Key and Gloria Thomas and the closing was done by Gloria Thomas.

The CD's poetry tracks are Valerie Martin's Everything Changes Yet Remains the Same; Lisa VanEvery's For Cloe and A Grandchild is Born; Janet Rogers' Re(d) Cycle; and Michelle Thomas' Hosge Agehdago:wah.

Songs on the disk are ElizaBeth Hill's Dreams Die Hard; and Laurel Dawn's Genocide Nation and Healing Child.

Prose selections include Yvonne Beaver's The Golden Ball; Stephanie Styres' A Tribute to the Creator; Sadie Buck's We Used to Pick Strawberries Here; Barbara-Helen Hill's Coyote; a radio play by Richbard Green, called The Separation; and a community history/children's story by Lorrie Gallant, called Bread & Cheese.

The spoken words are accompanied by music, mostly original pieces performed by their creators, such as Chad Henhawk, Alan Emarthle, manager of Six Nations Tourism, and Keith Baker.

Paula Whitlow, a member of Six Nations Writers and Curator of Chiefswood National Historic Site since 1995, selected Pauline Johnson's poems, In the Shadows and The Song My Paddle Sings. Whitlow also selected the background music for the two poems, a piano piece taken from sheet music found at Chiefswood, which was Johnson's birthplace and home and is now a museum.

Since 2001, a core group of writers in the collective has been meeting weekly at Chiefswood, They launched their Web site in March 2002. This year, on March 2, they held a public reading of plays by playwrights Yvonne Beaver, Ken Davis and ElizaBeth Hill. The release of the CD is their latest project.

Whitlow said that her goal was "to promote Pauline," who has definitely been the collective's role model and inspiration.

Beaver, as one of the contributors to the project, hopes that "listeners of all ages enjoy Our Voices."

Almost 150 years after her birth, Johnson's paddle is singing again, together with the poets and storytellers of the Six Nations of the Grand River.