Nanabajou in Frog Skin connected with the Worlds flood (1968) Norval Morrisseau and the David Voss Letters (2001-2008)

Nanabajou in Frog Skin
connected with the Worlds flood
 - Norval Morrisseau -
Ink on paper, 22” x 30”, 1968
___________________

Christ (1968) Norval Morrisseau

Christ

Norval Morrisseau

Acrylic on paper, 34 x 23.6 cm, ca. 1968

We natives believe in the following saying: Our God is Native. The Great Deity of the Five Planes is so. We are neither for nor against, We speak not of Christ nor of God. We say, 'Let them be.' We follow the Spirit on its Inward Journey of Soul through attitudes and attentions. Remember we are all in a big School and the Inner Master teaches us Experience over many Lifetimes.

Norval Morrisseau

The Merman (1968) Norval Morrisseau

The Merman

Norval Morrisseau

Gouache on paper, 78” x 32”, 1968

Morrisseau, the artist, is a teller of tales. But tales such as these are only as powerful as the power of the person who tells them. Behind the visual imagery lies the power of his personal recital of a legend. Behind the legend lies the personal vision that explains everything. It may be difficult to distinguish Ojibway mythic elements from personal ones, or to separate Indian versions of Catholic iconography from Morrisseau's own set of emblems. He is at his most Indian when he offers an explanation of what he is doing. The purpose of doing it may have been to share with the world a heritage of the Great Ojibway that is proud and full of worth. The reason for doing it is very Indian. Where other artists might claim logic, tradition or authority as justification, Morrisseau always justifies himself by the most Indian of all explanations: the imperative of a personal, unique and private vision, the only real consistency which lies at the back of all his work. Everything, ultimately, is validated by Morrisseau's unanswerable claim to be responding to the demands of that personal, unique and private vision.

Lister Sinclair

The Mermaid (1968) - Mother Earth )1969) Norval Morrisseau

The Merman

Norval Morrisseau

Gouache on paper - 78” x 32” - 1968

"This is where your importance comes in" he explained: "The more you can express in your writing and painting the strongest and oldest Indian beliefs the more likely it is that they will be picked up by the non-Indians and become a part of our Canadian Heritage. But if, in your honest attempt to build a bridge between your people and other Canadians you say - as your mermaid painting with the breasts says - "Look our beliefs are just like yours" - you will only convince the non-Indian that the Ojibway people have little that is new, or strong, or different, to offer the rest of the World".

Selwyn Dewdney

1961 - prior to Morrisseau's breakout show.

Mother Earth

Norval Morrisseau
Gouache on cardboard, 32” x 55”, 1969

One day maybe if there's another Centennial I wouldn't like the white man to say he can trace himself right back to the cave days, but what's the Indian got, nothing! They're going to say what the white man writes about him. It's not good. Even if they never mention my name, you can't stop progress. I laid the first cornerstone already, whether I'm a drunkard or not, sober or whatever kind of person I am. I led that thing. That's for the betterment of our people in the future, not today.

Norval Morrisseau

1967 - Speaking about Expo 67 and his massive mural on the Indians of Canada pavilion. Norval asked Carl Ray to finish it because the Canadian government interfered, nixing the breasts on Mother Earth, resulting in headlines across Canada which read, "Pavilion Rebukes White Man, Indians' Theme Angers Expo Visitors".

What was with Dewdney and the Canadian Government? Does modern society have a conflict with sexuality and spirituality? Norval thought we had been indoctrinated into powerlessness. I have never viewed a "Norval" Morrisseau painting that I consider profane, have you? From my perspective Norval set a courageous example with both his life and his work. The two streams of energy are not in conflict, except in the mind of man. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I'm proud of Norval for listening to the fearmongers and then "not" doing what they asked.

Family of Birds - Norval Morrisseau - 1968

Family of Birds

Norval Morrisseau

 © 1968

Mishipizhiw - Norval Morrisseau

Mishipizhiw

(Water Demi-God)

c. 1968 Norval Morrisseau

"To accomplish what I have started and to die in it feeling I have fulfilled what I started - to reach a level where I and Manitou and the Indian will always keep the Indian faith alive - to be a great Artist and Preserver of Indian culture. I accept it fully as a duty in life which was set forth for, to set an example."

Norval Morrisseau