It was Norval's plan that I protect his artistic legacy.

As Norval's long time protege, who mixed his paints and stretched his canvasses, some consideration of my eyewitness account of his production during the late 70's and early 80's must be included in the historic record. 

Many of the forged paintings are signed in black drybrush (and often dated). I painted with Norval in the 70's, 80's and 90's. I never once saw him sign the back of canvasses in black paint. From time to time he would title or sign a painting on the back with pen, pencil and even marker. I'd also like to point out that the "drybrush" look was abhorant to Norval. Instead he required just the right fluidity to his black paint because it was the colour he did "lining" with.

Furthermore, I find it absurd that Norval would paint the year on the back of these paintings. He never knew what day, month or year it was, or needed to. Prints required dates, paintings didn't. Everyone who knows Norval knew that it was like "pulling teeth" to get him to title a painting.

In my expert opinion the Norval Morrisseau paintings that display this dry brush technique on the back of the canvass were not painted by Norval Morrisseau.

In this posting I'd like to explore the signatures that appear on the backs of canvasses and compare the "M" in Morrisseau on what appear to be authentic signatures and the "M" on the black drybrush signatures that are forgeries in my opinion. The "M" painted on the back of numerous forged paintings appears to "lean into" and appears to "squeeze" the letters that follow. Authentic Norrisseau "M"'s appear to me to align at the same angle as the two "r's" and not lean in.

Here are examples of Norval Morrisseau Signatures

 that are probably authentic.

Here are examples of what appear to be forged

 Norval Morrisseau Signatures in black drybrush.

The paintings they appear on are in my expert opinion forged.

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"A Great Spirit" - The Sleeping Giant of Thunder Bay Returns (Part II)

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- Grand Shaman of the Anishnaabe (the original people)
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The "Sleeping Giant" that sparked my imagination as a youth became the central image in this mural, depicting the physical body of Copper Thunderbird.

Hiding 15 miles behind the Sleeping Giant is the second largest island archipelago on the Great Lakes. Now it is called "Isle Royale". Before that it was known as "Copper Island". To the Ojibway it is "Minong" meaning, "a good place to live". Scientists have been exploring multiple, massive "native (pure) copper" mines on Ojibway land there. They have dated wood foundations in the mines to six thousand years ago. According to Morrisseau the Ojibway have been there for at least 12,000 years. In this place where trout, whitefish, sturgeon, herring, suckers, pike, woodland caribou, beaver and loons were plentiful was the world's richest treasury of pure copper. It was also the Island paradise of a shamanic brotherhood called the Midewiwin or Grand Medicine Society who organized to share and protect the medicinal and magical knowledge of the Anishnaabe.

I believe that the Nanabijou legend of the Sleeping Giant tells an insignificant story of secret silver mines in order to better hide the greater secrets of Copper Island.

Morrisseau, Grand Shaman of the Mide, loved to wear copper ornaments and bracelets and would often speak of copper's special healing properties. He understood its significance as he was one of a long line of guardians who have succeeded in preserving 60,000 years of human pre-history. Once every seven generations a Grand Shaman is born to reinvigorate the lineage, regenerate the people, renew the environment and record the sacred scrolls. The last Grand Shaman was Badasan who in 1825 passed on his scrolls stretched out on 17 feet of birchbark.

In 2007 Norval Morrisseau passed on a legacy of thousands of shamanistic images. To all of us he left the task of understanding his visions as magical blueprints and tools provided to guide and assist humanity in completing the circle and finding our way home.

>>>>>> Stardreamer

"A Great Spirit" - The Sleeping Giant of Thunder Bay Returns (Part I)

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- A mural that tells the tale of the Legend of Copper Thunderbird
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"A Great Spirit" - The Sleeping Giant of Thunder Bay Returns
5'x17', © 2008 Ritchie "Stardreamer" Sinclair

Morrisseau donated this painting to the people of Canada at a time when he received no support to speak of from Canada. Few know that he died in poverty. And yet here is "Androgyny", exhibited in a golden room that drips with money and power. Many people say that Morrisseau was one of Canada's greatest artists. To some of us, there is no comparison. He is one of the World's great masters. Prolific, significant, dynamic, always interesting, flamboyant, tortured by love, a seeker of deep truths, weak as a kitten and strong as a bear. A profound human being who has coloured our world with insight and energy.

The last years of his life he passionately used every penny he earned to buy and store items for his "Museum" that he dreamed would one day be built in Winnipeg. "The centre of the Universe as far as Indians are concerned" he would say. He started a trust fund to make sure it would happen yet today I watch the artifacts and paintings he so desperately fought to gather for the next generations being frittered away and it breaks my heart.

Androgyny is a lesson from Morrisseau to Canada. Don't ignore your sources of inspiration even if they are dressed in rags. We are all one in Spirit.

->>> Stardreamer