About the Cover Artist We Conjure Our Own Spirit, by Norval Morisseau

Considered among the first contemporary indigenous As a young adult, he was encouraged to continue artists of Canada, (1932—2007), painting by Dr. Joseph Weinstein, a physician who had also known as “Copper Thunderbird” and “Picasso of trained as an artist in Paris. Dr. Weinstein also provided the North,” painted ancient myths and legends of the him with art supplies. In the 1960s, Mr. Morriseau’s exhi- people of Eastern Canadian. bitions were the first showings of any indigenous art in He founded the Woodlands style and is heralded as “the contemporary galleries; these were met key figure at the center of an indigenous art movement in with wide acclaim. He inspired a generation of artists, Canada” by the National Chief of Assembly of First Nations. and unfortunately also suffered from art fraud with many In 1938, the young Mr. Morrisseau was sent to a residential paintings in his style sold as his works. He actively fought school, a system set up by the Canadian government in the against this fraud during his lifetime. This is documented 1880s that operated until the last decades of the twentieth in the film, “There Are No Fakes.” century. Here, like all the students, he was forbidden to In the 1990s, Morisseau was diagnosed with Parkinson acknowledge his culture or speak his traditional language disease (PD). Although analysis shows his artwork changed and faced other abuse as well. After 4 years, he returned to in this period, he is quoted as saying, “when I paint, my living with his grandparents and began drawing the legends hands don’t shake.” Mr. Morriseau continued painting for of his people, although this was discouraged because this as long as he was able before he died from complications lore was traditionally not meant to be shared publicly. of PD in 2007. n

Permission to reproduce We Conjure Our Own Spirit granted by the copyright owner www.morisseauprints.com, who verified its authenticity as a work of Mr. Morisseau, and the estate of Mr. Norval Morisseau.

10 PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY SEPTEMBER 2021