What a cold and shitty experience dealing with this guy: Det. Jason Rybak of the Thunder Bay police concerning the Morrisseau art fraud

For the record: (Historical and legacy, education, sharing my truth)

 I can remember the first time these cops got a hold of me. Calling me up and being all friendly and trying to be extra courteous and all because they wanted to interview me about my knowledge and experiences with Norval Morrisseau and what I knew of the fraud. By this time they were a year into the investigation. (By this time 2020 it had been 15 years for me) Oh ya, let me not forget by mentioning that the Thunder Bay police and OPP only got interested because of the movie There are no fakes. We spent years trying to get the Canadian police forces involved including the rcmp and before the movie came out, they couldn’t find enough evidence to charge anyone. (Not only that, the Ontario superior court had sided with the fraudsters making those fakes legit in the eyes of the rule of law)

And let’s get this straight, the only reason why the movie happened was because of Dallas Thompson and I getting together and Dallas becoming the first person to testify about the abuse he suffered from that total piece of shit in Gary Lamont. Everything springs from that moment. The movie, the investigation and getting a serial rapist arrested, charged and convicted of several sexual assaults in lamont. 

It’s amazing how when putting this story into the hands of others, they all wanna take credit, control the narrative. (Same can be said of the Canadian media) It’s not only quite disturbing, but truly reflects the selfish and self centred nature of the colonizer. So yes, this Morrisseau investigation has been a super ugly and absolutely shitty experience, including dealing with these colonized coppers. 

After our 5 hour interview I specifically got into great detail about Kinsmen Robinson gallery selling a different style of fakes known as the PC fakes. I went through the books “Travels to the house of invention, the second book as well, return to the house of invention which have those fakes I’ve mentioned here. It was weird when Det. Jason Rybak told me after the interview that they’d be focused on primarily dealing with the black drybrush fakes. I was taken back by that comment. Because I know that there are roughly 10 to 12 different waves of Morrisseau fakes. 

Example of those PC Fakes pictured above on right:

I also made a comment about Lamont and that he’s a crazy sexual predator and that living out in the mountains was a safe bet for my little boy and I out here. He told me not to worry that Lamont has “no juice left”. He’s lost a ton of weight and has no street credentials. That was in November of 2020. It’s now June of 2022 and Lamont since being released from prison has been rearrested 3 times now for raping again including rape with a weapon, a knife. No juice left? .....Right. 

But there he is out fuckin raping people in the community. It’s absolutely gross. I had a phone conversation not 2 days ago and it was a cold and hostile experience. I mentioned about the thing with Lamont being released etc and Det. Jason Rybak tells me that he knows it’s shitty about Lamont being released but he says to me: It’s what society wants, to let him out. And so he reoffends.....right. Blaming society? Not blaming the rule of law? The colonizers system? I would think blaming society isn’t where Rybak should be pointing his finger. 

During that phone conversation he shows zero friendliness to me, he’s cold and abrupt and then hangs up on me. That’s how you treat one of the key figures in solving this crime? An indigenous artist? A 60’s scoop survivor? A person suffering from ptsd because of this fuckin Morrisseau shit? 

Right.

Fuck that, guy. People like you are users. What a letdown, it’s really sad and depressing. You use people and that’s exactly how I feel when dealing with you. Not only that, but your out of touch when it comes to your PR skills. You are super shitty dealing with people. That’s my experience. Your out of touch with what even truth and reconciliation looks like. You serve an ugly and genocidal master in Canada and the crown. That’s a fact. I knew in my heart trusting the likes of you would be a let down. It is all present in how our interaction was. Fuckin gross. That’s my truth. It’s no wonder the police forces up in ol dirty Thunder Bay have a major fuckin problem connecting with the community. 

Colonialism and Indians don’t mix. That’s the real truth behind this whole fiasco. I feel embarrassed that I’ve had to put myself through this. For what? For Norval Morrisseau? For his art? For his legacy? For my culture? For the truth? For justice?

What a complete fuckin joke dealing with all of this. Definitely the worst experience of my life. Dealing with the underbelly of colonialism Canada, the shadiness of it all. The selfishness of the colonizer in all their splendour...on stolen Indian land. 

All my relations, MAJ