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Illustrations of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge and the Work of Norval Morisseau

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Illustrations of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge and the Work of Norval Morisseau RENDER | THE CARLETON GRADUATE JOURNAL OF ART AND CULTURE VOLUME TWO Shamans and Sham Illustrations of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge and the Work of Norval Morisseau By: Kristyn Rolanty, MA Art History forgeries circulating in the art market The fusion of aesthetics and religious complicate the issues that arise in protecting beliefs can be a potent combination, Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge and threaten establishing art as a tool for the manifestation the sacredness of the imagery. It is my aim to and communication of values and traditions. contribute to a fuller understanding of both the This paper will explore the communicative artist and the impact of his artistic power of art through a critical examination of appropriations through this examination of sacred imagery present in the works of Norval Morrisseau’s early works. Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau. The electric J e a n - B a p t i s t e N o r m a n H e n r y colours, undulating lines, and bold figures of Morrisseau (1932-2007) was a highly Morrisseau’s paintings have established him as acclaimed Ojibway artist. The Ojibway are a a unique Aboriginal artist. I intend to analyze member of Algonkian speaking peoples whose Morrisseau’s paintings to demonstrate that own name for themselves is Anishnaabe, many of his visual elements are borrowed from meaning simply “the people.” Morrisseau was traditional Midéwiwin pictographs. Traditionally, one of the first Anishnaabe artists to illustrate these pictographs are believed to hold great the legends of his people and to reach religious power and should be treated with international success in the process. His works respect and caution.1 Morrisseau are characterized by the fusion of Anishnaabe appropriated, or copied these images, spirituality with modern aesthetic forms and defending his usage on the grounds of colours. He was famously hailed as the revitalizing Ojibway heritage. Nevertheless, “Picasso of the North” by Marc Chagall2 and is during the 1960s and 70s, many Aboriginal considered the founder of the Anishnaabe community members objected to him sharing painting movement, sometimes referred to as images imbued with traditional knowledge. the Woodland School.3 Morrisseau’s paintings This paper will incorporate a discussion of combined traditional content to which Native Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge into an communities could relate, with a visual analysis of Morrisseau’s sacred imagery and language that a non-Native audience could examine the potential for employing Western understand. legal systems as a means of protecting this Morrisseau began making art at an early knowledge. The recent flood of Morrisseau age, copying the scrolls and rock carvings ! !1 RENDER | THE CARLETON GRADUATE JOURNAL OF ART AND CULTURE VOLUME TWO shown to him by his shaman grandfather. The allowing the transfer of their power to the eldest of seven boys, he was raised by his shamans through their artistic rendering.12 maternal grandfather, Moses “Potan” Museums that hold Midé scrolls in their Nanakonagos. His grandmother, Vernique collections classify them as culturally sensitive Nanakonagos, was a devout Catholic who materials and do not display them to the introduced him to Christian themes and public. Out of respect for the Midéwiwin, who imagery, which are apparent in his later consider these images both sacred and artworks.4 Morrisseau’s grandfather also had a private, I have chosen not to include significant impact on his artwork, exposing his photographs of the scrolls in this paper. grandson to the traditional imagery of the Instead, I will be using anthropological Midéwiwin society of shamans. drawings to illustrate the Midé symbols.13 For The Midéwiwin or Midé, are a instance, a scroll completed by anthropologist shamanistic society within Ojibway culture. The W.J. Hoffman in 1888 (figure 1) illustrates the Midéwiwin society was structured into a story of Menabosho, the first man, who was hierarchy of degrees of power.5 Members who given gifts by the spirits. Hoffman’s achieved two or three degrees would practice anthropological text, “Pictography and a specialty within the community, such as Shamanistic Rites,” discloses that the Midé rainmaking or finding game for hunters.6 would not offer him direct explanations of Higher-ranking Medé members became these figures. Furthermore, he admits to powerful representatives of the community and making copies without their knowledge.14 The were able to foresee events, cure disease and copying of scrolls is a process reserved for prolong life.7 new Midé initiates so that they may learn the Midéwiwin shamans manifest their ceremonies of the society and is otherwise religion and culture through art – oral strictly prohibited.15 traditions, initiation rituals, and ceremonial rites S e l w y n D e w d n e y, a n a m a t e u r are recorded in pictographic incisions on birch archaeologist from London (Ontario), also bark scrolls. The pictographs depict made copies of the Midé scrolls. Morrisseau anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures, met Dewdney in 1960 while he was working at diagrams of lodges, maps, and other motifs. a gold mine and selling his work at local tourist These scrolls serve as a visual system of shops. At that time, Dewdney was studying communication and as a form of record petroglyphs at Red Lake and became very keeping for preserving their traditions.8 The interested in Morrisseau’s work. 16 The two scrolls were also integral to initiation worked closely together and published a book, ceremonies and the imagery mapped out the Legends of My People the Great Ojibway in initiate’s spiritual journey.9 Through this 1965, which divulged the oral narratives of the enactment of ritual through ceremonial art, Ojibway as told and illustrated by Morrisseau. Midé beliefs were renewed and knowledge Dewdney also exposed Morrisseau to sacred was passed on.10 The scrolls are also rock carvings that Morrisseau appropriated considered sacred objects because of the into his paintings. spiritual power they imbue. The Midé scrolls A r t h i s t o r i a n s d e b a t e w h e t h e r draw their power from a shared belief in the Morrisseau ever directly copied these scrolls image,11 where the essence of the spirit dwells himself. Coming Away (Legendary Scroll Motifs) demonstrates Morrisseau’s awareness ! !2 RENDER | THE CARLETON GRADUATE JOURNAL OF ART AND CULTURE VOLUME TWO and usage of Midéwiwin pictography. recognized motifs is the divided circle. The Members of the Norval Morrisseau Heritage divided circle traditionally represents the megis Society deliberate whether this drawing is a shell, a sacred symbol commonly depicted on reproduction of a scroll or a recombination of shamanistic articles such as drums and symbols that occur on a number of different rattles.25 Megis shells arranged in a line scrolls.17 While this drawing is evidence of formation often portrayed a spiritual journey or Morrisseau’s usage of traditional symbols, his processional path.26 Morrisseau describes his paintings illustrate a reinterpretation and use of the divided circle as a symbol of elaboration of these forms through a wholeness and the union of opposites.27 development of a new pictorial narrative.18 Morrisseau also uses transparency Many of Morrisseau’s paintings are of within the figures, now commonly known as Manitous, which is an Algonkian term for “x-ray” painting. According to the Midé, this personal guardian spirits.19 By creating an expression of internal parts symbolized the image of a Manitou, shamans become figure’s inner relationship to the outer world.28 empowered and protected by the spiritual gifts As I have mentioned above, bones had an of the deities.20 These images became a important function in society and were used as source of power to be transferred to the artist. charms, flutes, and ceremonial relics.29 Morrisseau also depicts Manitous in his Another aspect of Midé drawings that paintings, such as Thunderbird (Figure 2). The Morrisseau uses in his work are the connecting Thunderbird is a giant celestial raptor, a l i n e s b e t w e e n t h e fi g u r e s . T h e s e powerful spirit of the upperworld. Thunderbirds i n t e rc o n n e c t i n g l i n e s re p re s e n t t h e were associated with success in warfare and relationships of power between the figures.30 also rainfall, which ensured success in In addition to using symbols from the agriculture.21 Morrisseau adopted the Midé scrolls, Morrisseau illustrated the Thunderbird both as his alter-ego and artist ceremonies themselves. Untitled of 1958-61 name: Copper Thunderbird. He received this depicts a divination ritual known as the shaking name from a medicine woman who treated tent ceremony. During this ceremony, tribe him during an illness and signed it in Cree members would ask questions of the shaman syllabics (the language of his wife, Harriet inside the tent: requesting cures for the sick, Kakegamic) in each of his paintings.22 the finding of lost items, or enquiring about the Another powerful Manitou commonly future.31 The questions are interpreted by represented in Morrisseau’s artworks is the Mikkinnuk, a turtle spirit, whose presence bear. Bear Spirit (Figure 3) of 1970 illustrates causes the tent to shake with power.32 This the connection between a shaman and bear. painting is completed on birchbark, not for its According to Morrisseau, the bear is a very religious significance, but for its availability and sacred animal to the Ojibway people.23 This affordability. Morrisseau completed many of his painting illustrates that bear bones are used as early works using a number of media including relics during sucking rites, in which the shaman plywood, kraft paper, and crayons.33 uses a hollow bone to suck out disease or Although Morrisseau’s early work was sickness brought on by sorcery.24 Additionally, influenced and inspired by traditional Midé this painting is a good example of some of the i m a g e r y, h i s s t y l i s t i c a n d t h e m a t i c traditional elements that Morrisseau borrows developments demonstrate a departure that from the Midé scrolls.
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