Description
 Norval Morrisseau’s Shaman’s Ride is a large acrylic on canvas. The painting features an Indian shaman taking a ride on a large bird comprised of multiple species.  It is a two-headed beast with a head on each end.  One head is representative of a bird and the other head is a hippopotamus.  The beast is transparent in the manner that the viewer can see within the animal.  The objects, colors and shapes are not on top or part of the animal’s skin, but a glimpse within the beast.  This is possibly a direct view into its soul.  A smiling fish inhabits the guts of the flying beast while powerful shapes brightly colored fill the remaining portion of its insides.  The background presents a strange sky with stars sprinkled over a dusty rose twilight or dawn.  A circular line that interjects three round objects in the sky encloses the bird and shaman.  The line gives the illusion of a power field or force field as they fly across the mysterious sky.  The image is drawn very flat and divides the painting into two planes, one of the bird, shaman, and energy line and the other of the starry sky.  The colors are bold and bright throughout the painting. Morrisseau used a strong black to outline and accent the images.  There is little detail and he uses very simplistic shapes that bring to mind child like simplicity in art.  He is able to create a highly expressive and story filled painting with little formal knowledge of art.
Meanings and culture of origin
With no research or knowledge of the artist or his culture, the painting portrays an obvious dreamscape.  The bird expresses power, might and knowledge.  Any ideas of it being a frightful beast are quickly forgotten when viewing the peacefulness of the rider.  The painting is calm, charming and beautiful like a fantastic dream, sailing through the starry skies.  However, with a little investigating and acquired knowledge about the artist and his culture, this painting represents much more then a simple child’s dream.
Morrisseau considers himself a spiritual conduit from another world or plane.  He visits this world in his dreams and through his visions.  He strives to represent his declining culture through his art.  His work touches on ideas, principles and powers of his culture that can not always be expressed with modern day words or perhaps any words.  The images in this painting derive from symbols, legends and myths of eastern woodlands and of the Ojibwa people.
For example, the objects in the power ring surrounding the bird and shaman are undoubtedly migiis shells.  The shells are white cowries that grow only on reefs in the South Pacific Ocean.  They are often referred to as “money cowries” due to the great value the islanders gave them.  With in the Ojibwa religious and cultural thoughts, migiis are white shinning cowries shells in the sky, which lead the Anishinaabeg on their long migration from the shores of the Atlantic to the west, around the Great Lakes.  They are a symbol of knowledge and of hope, a guide and source of enlightenment for his ancestors.
Morrisseau also used his own “x-ray painting” style.  This is when he depicts the interior as well as the exterior of a figure in order to represent what is felt or perceived inside an animal or person.  It is their power, life force, or spirit guts represented through art.  With in all Morrisseau’s work we see the search for a balance inside all life.  “There is life, even in a stone” (Morrisseau) This painting and most of his work he describes: “My paintings are icons, that is to say they are images that focus on spiritual powers, generated by traditional beliefs and wisdom.”
Artist Information
Morrisseau was born on Sand Point Reserve, near Beardmore Ontario, March 14, 1932.  His maternal grand parents Moses and Vernique Nanakonageos, who lived on the Gull Bay Shore of Lake Nipigon, raised him.  He was given the name Copper Thunderbird (Miskwaabik Animiiki) of which he signs all his artwork.  His grandfather was a Midewinini and Jissakan (shaking tent seer) and taught Norval stories, myths and spiritual things.  He gained only a fourth grade education at an Indian boarding school.  On the reserve, he explored old sites and studied petroglyphs or rock art of his ancestors.  Most of the symbols and icons Morrisseau uses can be found in very ancient rock carvings and paintings all over the Great Lakes and Canadian Shield areas.  They also can be found preserved on birch bark scrolls that recorded history, knowledge and songs of his ancestors and culture.
When he was nineteen, he was afflicted with tuberculosis and entered into a long-term care hospital.  There he was encouraged and began to develop his painting.  His popularity climbed after he was featured in a sold out one-man show presented by Jack Pollock.  This led to jealousy among the tribal members who criticized Morrisseau for revealing and exploiting tribe’s legends and beliefs to outsiders and for profit.  Morrisseau defended himself, saying he wanted to restore cultural pride to the largely converted catholic society.  Morrisseau considered himself a shaman or spiritual healer.  “I pass on the spirits I see” (Morrisseau). He is currently living in British Columbia and several galleries in Canada represent him.
Cultural Changes
This Medicine Art as it is often called, started with his Native American ancestors and their rock art and birch bark scrolls.  They used it to express and explain their culture, knowledge and religion.  As a boy, Morrisseau while learning from his grandfather he drew in the sand and developed many of his symbols.  Later he painted as his ancestors did on birch bark and stone.  While in the hospital he started to use old, brown paper bags until eventually switching to canvas.   Although he uses modern tools and supplies, his ideas themes and symbols derive from his visions, dreams, and culture.
In 1972, in a hotel fire Morrisseau suffered server burns.  For several years after, he stayed in a catholic detox center.  Influenced by his surroundings he recast the Christian iconography to show all the cast characters as Indians.  Morrisseau is catholic and has gone through many personal struggles to reconcile his faith with his native beliefs.  Besides the mentioned series of paintings, Morrisseau stuck to the ideologies and iconography of his Ojibwa people and culture.
Messages
 This painting and artist is a great example of the importance of research and acquired information about the artist and his culture, time and experiences when trying to interpret their artwork.  Without any knowledge, much of the meaning and symbols of this work is lost due to our modern ideals and ignorance/neglect of another culture.  This goes hand and hand to show the students the important affect an artist’s culture and history has on their artwork.  This artist uses a unique way to express emotions and spirituality.  He found a way to express an intangible life force or spiritual power he believes is present within everything and everyone.  Morrisseau’s work shows students one way to express and interpret feelings and emotions through art.  Morrisseau’s work invites the students to think about symbols and their meanings.  The students can think about everyday symbols like the men’s and ladies washrooms, no smoking or street signs, and commercial symbols like “M” of Mc Donalds or the “swush” of Nike.   Morrisseau has found it extremely important to preserve and resurrect his culture for future generations.  Students can see art as a method of documenting and expressing their own important ideas and thoughts.