Early Indigenous Literatures

Tales, Legends, and Tragedies

These descriptions of Johnson’s writing seem to create a sensationalized vision of her work. “Tales,” “Legends,” and “Tragedies” suggest grand and moving genres, and “Spirit-land” and “Indian” generate a vague sense of Indigeneity devoid of much specific content. Taken together, these terms create a sense of Johnson’s work as full of affecting but imprecise Indigeneity, presumably being offered to a primarily non-Indigenous audience.

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