"Pauline Johnson inducted in Walk of Fame"

A famous Mohawk poetess has joined a Brantford broadcaster and entrepreneur in Brantford's Walk of Fame.

E. Pauline Johnson, who's poems are known worldwide, broadcaster Arnold Anderson and 20th century merchant, Samuel W. Stedman were honoured at the Sanderson Centre Friday night.

The night included tributes, video presentations and a live poetry reading by Six Nations Mona Staats.

The Walk of Fame inductees were announced last month and among them was Six Nations own renowned poet E. Pauline Johnson, who's most famous poem, "The Song My Paddle Sings," became nationally famous.

Replica plaques etched with the honourees portraits will be fixed in bronze and added to the display in the city's downtown next to the Market Square.

Brantford Mayor Chris Friel told the audience, Brantford has been a "great place to live" since about 5,000 B.C.

"Some truly remarkable people have come from here and our three honourees tonight have changed not only our community but the world."

He said meeting and talking to some of the families of the honourees tonight have given him a new awareness of the city. "They have some wonderful stories about our community."

Nominations for the Walk of Fame are made in six categories. Anderson was honoured for work in sports and athletics, Johnson for arts and education and Stedman for business and commerce.

Pauline Johnson, who died of breast cancer at 51, in 1913, was the daughter of Mohawk Royanni George Johnson and was raised at Six Nations. Pauline wrote poems and toured Canada reciting her poetry in shows.

According to the committee "her works reflect the heart of a story teller, a lover of nature, the Canadian landscape. She was a spirited defender of native culture. She was an independent woman in a time when that was a rarity."

Elected Band Council Chief Wellington Staats, who accepted, on behalf of the community, a piece of pottery commemorating the event told the audience, "If we close our eyes, we can imagine the Grand River as it was 150 years ago when Pauline, in her little white canoe, would go skimming over the Grand River.

In Brantford a local high school has been named for her and in 1991 her life and works were presented in shows locally and abroad. Several books have been written about her and her home at Six Nations has been declared a national historic site.

The city adds other famous local people annually... Last year NHL "Ironman", Doug Jarvis, scientist-inventor Dr. James Hillier and the late actor-comedian Phil Hartman became the first inductees.