Jane Johnston Schoolcraft
Jane Johnston Schoolcraft was a notable 19th-century writer and cultural figure, born in 1800 in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, to an Irish immigrant father and an Ojibwe mother. Her upbringing in a bicultural household provided her with a unique perspective, as she was educated in both English literature and Ojibwe language and customs. She married Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, an explorer and Indian agent, in 1823, and together they explored and documented Native American culture in the Great Lakes region. Jane played a vital role in their literary endeavors, co-founding *The Literary Voyager*, where she published her writings under pseudonyms like Leelinau and Rosa. Her work included retellings of Ojibwe folk tales and poetry reflecting her spirituality and connection to nature. Despite their separation in 1830 and facing challenges in receiving recognition for her contributions, Jane Johnston Schoolcraft's legacy as a bridge between her Ojibwe heritage and literary expression remains significant. She passed away in 1841, leaving behind a rich cultural imprint.
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Jane Johnston Schoolcraft
- Born: January 31, 1800
- Birthplace: Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan
- Died: May 22, 1841
Biography
Jane Johnston Schoolcraft was the daughter of John Johnston, an Irish immigrant fur trader, and an Ojibwe daughter of chief Waub Ojeeg. Her parents met at a trading post on Lake Superior in Wisconsin and moved to Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, where Schoolcraft was born in 1800. Initially, Schoolcraft and her six siblings were educated by their father, who owned an extensive library; additionally, her mother taught them the Ojibwe language and customs. An avid reader, Schoolcraft accompanied her father on many trips, and in 1809 she was sent to Ireland to further her education. After spending some time there with her father and other relatives, she returned to Michigan.
In 1822, she met Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, a young explorer who was assigned as Upper Great Lakes Indian agent for the region. As he sought to learn more about the tribes and customs in the region, he contacted the Johnston family. Soon, he and Jane Johnston grew close and they married in 1823. Henry Schoolcraft remained captivated by Native American concerns after his duties ceased and wrote more than twenty books and scores of articles on Native American culture. His Ojibwe wife was particularly helpful to him in his attempts to learn more about Indian culture in the Great Lakes area. In 1824, Jane Schoolcraft gave birth to their son William Henry, also given the Ojibwe name Panaysee, or “the little bird”; in 1825, she had a stillborn daughter, and William Henry died in 1827. The couple would go on to have two more children who reached adulthood.
Schoolcraft’s literary reputation stems not only for her efforts on behalf of her husband but also from the work she published in The Literary Voyager, or Muzzeniegun, a journal she and her husband founded and published, with its first issue appearing at the end of 1826. Schoolcraft created a fictional author named Leelinau, an Ojibwe woman who informed journal readers she would write knowledgeable articles about the life and traditions of the Ojibwe people. The publication ran for fourteen issues and featured Schoolcraft’s retelling of Ojibwe folk tales. Schoolcraft also contributed poetry to the magazine under the name Rosa, writing in the conventions of her day. Much of her poetry was religious and about nature, and in the last issue both she and her husband expressed their grief at the loss of their son.
Schoolcraft and her husband separated in 1830; she never received her due from her husband, who often took credit for work she had written. Nevertheless, as a writer who was fluent in both English and Ojibwe, her contribution to the recording of her tribe’s culture can not be overstated. She died on May 22, 1841.