Em-me-ga-bowh - Rev. John Johnson

Em-me-ga-bowh - Rev. John Johnson by Sarah Thorp Heald in 1939. Crow Wing County Historical Society. Oil on Panel.  

Enmegahbowh (John Johnson) was the first indigenous person ordained in the Episcopal Church. He was first recruited as a Christian missionary in 1832. He continued his missionary work despite missing his home and family and traveled around the Midwest. In 1846, Enmegahbowh was adopted by Chief Hole-in-the-Day. After Chief Hole-in-the-Day passed away, Chief Hole-in-the-Day II pressured Enmegahbowh to start a mission. This would eventually lead to a collaboration with James Lloyd Breck to start the St. Columba Mission near East Gull Lake. In 1867, Enmegahbowh was ordained as a priest. It was around this time that Chief Hole-in-the-Day II began making plans to drive white people out of Minnesota. Enmegahbowh warned folks in Crow Wing and Fort Ripley of these plans, before leaving for White Earth. In 1869, Enmegahbowh encouraged Chief White Cloud to make peace between the Dakota and Ojibwe. Heald may have done this painting for a commission, or simply because she thought that the history of Enmegahbowh was fascinating.

Zapffe, Carl A. “The Life and Work of Enmegahbowh: A Time Line.” Soundings, From the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, June 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714181245/http://archive.episcopalchurch.org/documents/NAM_Enmegahbowh.pdf.