Legends of the Capilano by E. Pauline Johnson, edited by Alix Shield

On Tuesday, May 9th at 6:00pm, join Massy Arts Society, Massy Books, and University of Manitoba Press for the launch of a new edition of Legends of the Capilano, an update to the 1911 classic Legends of Vancouver, by E. Pauline Johnson, edited by Alix Shield.. 

Come celebrate this special edition, compiled in consultation with the Mathias family, the direct descendants of Joe and Mary Capilano and members of the Skwxwú7mesh Nation, which reframes, reconnects, and reclaims the stewardship of these stories.

This project has been made possible by the Government of Canada. Ce projet a été rendu possible grâce au gouvernement du Canada. 

Registration is free/by donation, open to all and required for entrance.

Purchase Legends of the Capilano at Massy Books in advance or in person at the event. 

Venue & Accessibility

VENUE CHANGE: The event will now be hosted at the Museum of Vancouver's Joyce Walley Room, 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver, BC.

Please refrain from wearing scents or heavy perfumes.

Covid Protocols: Masks keep our community safe and are mandatory (N95 masks are recommended as they offer the best protection). We ask if you are showing symptoms, that you stay home. Thank you kindly.

About The Book: 

(University of Manitoba Press)

Legends of the Capilano updates E. Pauline Johnson’s 1911 classic Legends of Vancouver, restoring Johnson’s intended title for the first time. This new edition celebrates the storytelling abilities of Johnson’s Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) collaborators, Joe and Mary Capilano, and supplements the original fifteen legends with five additional stories narrated solely or in part by Mary Capilano, highlighting her previously overlooked contributions to the book.

Alongside photographs and biographical entries for E. Pauline Johnson, Joe Capilano, and Mary Capilano, editor Alix Shield provides a detailed publishing history of Legends since its first appearance in 1911. Interviews with literary scholar Rick Monture (Mohawk) and archaeologist Rudy Reimer (Skwxwú7mesh) further considers the legacy of Legends in both scholars’ home communities. Compiled in consultation with the Mathias family, the direct descendants of Joe and Mary Capilano and members of the Skwxwú7mesh Nation, this edition reframes, reconnects, and reclaims the stewardship of these stories.

About the Editor:

Alix Shield is a settler scholar of English and Scottish descent, and a term lecturer for the Department of Indigenous Studies at Simon Fraser University. Alix completed her PhD at SFU in 2020, and was awarded an Emerging Open Scholarship Award by the Canadian Social Knowledge Institute in 2021 for contributions to The People and the Text web database of Indigenous authors. Alix is privileged to live as a guest on the traditional territories of the Hul’qumi’num-speaking Snuneymuxw First Nation on Vancouver Island.

With Guests: Members of the Mathias family (descendants of the Capilanos)

Host or Publisher Massy Arts Society