Honest message to Morrisseau art consulting, don’t be like the Goldi’s & risk it all to save a lie...

 

Pictured here: screen capture of Morrisseau art consulting, being run by former apprentice John Zemanovich and lawyer Jonathan Sommer Toronto Ont.

Good evening to each and everyone and thank you for all the love and support of these last few months. The woodland school of art is going through a major shift and transformation. The knowledge of Norval Morrisseau being exposed as a sexual abuser of children and of taking Sexual advantage of young homeless boys on the streets of Vancouver and elsewhere is a major dose of reality and truth coming forward. 

In the world of First Nations art here in this stolen country called Canada, this truth and awakening is absolutely heart shattering. Every day I struggle with this knowing. To digest just how fucking shocking it really is. It is heart wrenching as well because I had admired Morrisseau for years, most of my life. But the truth is just that, no matter how ugly, difficult, bitter and challenging to deal with, to confront and process, it must be done. The illusion must be exposed. The lies must be unravelled and the record must be set straight. We are in a different time now. The time of truth and reconciliation. This is about those who were hurt, sexually abused and raped by the predator, Norval Morrisseau.

My message to you John Zemanovich and Jonathan Sommer is: be careful. You don’t know to what extent this knowledge is. I know for a fact that Zemanovich knows about Norval sexually abusing one of his sons. We both were made aware of this but we simply didn’t know about how far down the scale this reality truly is. 

I’m glad that Kevin Hearn followed through with both Dallas and I saying that it was very ignorant and rude of you guys to put that cartoon caption shit on line and using it as advertising for your shitty consulting business of Morrisseau, the sexual abuser of children and his bullshit art, it was totally inappropriate. Also, you’ve made your move like dipshit Dingle of the spiritually bankrupt Norval Morrisseau estate, deleting my comments and blocking me from sharing this truth. It’s quite evident that denial is where you two piss ants wanna swim. It’s so weak of the both of you. Pathetic and I will not forget. That you side with a historic sexual abuser. Let that sink into your fuckin heads and heart. It’s super gross of you to not even acknowledge that or the victims/survivors. 

Don’t be stupid like the Estate or KRG,  like Maslak McLeod and the  Goldi’s, like Ugo Matulic, like Jim White, Gary Lamont and all those others who aligned themselves with a lie. Look what happened to them? They’ve lost more than just their credibility. I will tell you this: It’s a much different situation then dealing with the fraud. Denying this truth is choosing to live in the lie. You will be held accountable. Every move is being observed and watched. You are not in possession of this truth. But it’s coming. Trying to deny this is much like Canada in denial of the residential school children being murdered. Trying for decades to sweep that truth underneath the carpet. Trying to hide the truth, the truth of genocide against my people, against me. 

The same can be said of trying to hide and deny these historic sex crimes of the forever disgraced sexual abuser of children in Norval Morrisseau. I stand in absolute affirmation of everything I am sharing about this newly exposed reality. I have been honoured by living survivors who want to come forward and share their truth with the entire world. I stand in solidarity with them. 

More to come and all my relations, MAJ

Charges laid in decades long art fraud investigation into the art and legacy of the now disgraced Norval Morrisseau

 

Video: OPP and Thunder Bay police Art fraud investigation results

Good afternoon and once again this is just a quick and short post about the art fraud investigations regarding now discovered sexual predator and child abuser in Norval Morrisseau. There will be much more to come regarding these new allegations. This whole thing has been a constant cesspool of newly discovered truths about the once iconic and former mentor in Morrisseau.  It’s devastating to me but what lays ahead regarding exposing this is far more important. 

I send a shout out to APTN national news for quoting me and sharing my truth in this story. Have yourselves a safe weekend and I look forward to bringing you the final chapter in my Morrisseau investigations. All my relations, MAJ 

The deceptions and betrayal of a former apprentice in John Zemanovich @ Jacobson native art

As Norval would so often say, may the blessings be. So, I’ll begin by explaining how John Zemanovich found me and became my apprentice for over 10 years in the woodland school of art. I’ll also explain our involvement in the investigations of the Norval Morrisseau art fraud. At the end of the day, he did become my right hand man. But then over time, things began to change. 

I first met this guy around 2006 - 2007. He came to me through an email asking questions about the art fraud regarding Norval Morrisseau. He came to me as a fraud, as a fake identity in his former inter net name of raven Thunderbird. A made up name he gave himself to protect his real identity in John Zemanovich. The audacity of this small time Morrisseau researcher even had the nerve of suspecting me as a forger knowing that I was a great artist and all. 

Because he came to me as a liar, I felt the need to correct him which of course, I did. I told him right off the hop that he’d better straighten his bullshit out and make the approach with me through being honest and transparent. Something he recognized that if he wanted to be my friend, he would have to make some serious adjustments. 

The problems I discovered when I began to learn more about him were indeed, plenty. He was the one who before meeting me, was working with the Morrisseau children and was the brainchild behind the concept of the Morrisseau family foundation. It was John Zemanovich who created that. He was working with the kids and jim white around the time when we first met. Then he was working with gabe and michelle Vadas of the Norval Morrisseau estate. (Minus the Morrisseau children at that time)

Pictured above: John Zemanovich and Gabe Vadas with me in Nanaimo B.C. This is what betrayal looks like, pretend friends they were.

When I began to learn more about him I discovered that underneath the exterior of this raven Thunderbird false name and identity was a broken, weak and fragile soul. He knew nothing of his true First Nations identity. He didn’t even know how to hold a paint brush let alone how to stand as an indigenous man in this world we live in. I brought him that. During my time with him under my wing as a new apprentice I brought him to my home town of Sioux Lookout Ontario. He sat with my family and uncles who are all medicine men around our family drum. 

It was there that he began to find himself. We gave him his “indian name” we gave him his clan and he was gifted a Thunderbird pipe. This event helped to put the pieces together for him much better as now he was identified in the spirit world, the ancestors could truly recognize him now, he could know himself better as an Indian. But over time, his loyalty began to shift and change. He began to fall into the shadows once again with his self deceptions and what began to manifest as a drug problem with regards to his pain medication. 

But it was in the practice of the art form itself that would help to stabilize and give hope to his real identity and sense of self. Once again, I brought him that. He had zero experience and confidence as a new artist. But in working with me, I definitely helped to encourage and strengthen that part of his development as an artist. Nobody else could at this point. It took my power and energy and belief in him to push him forward in this new and exciting direction. 

Pictured above: 2 examples of early works by John Zemanovich. Painting of me on the left, a painting of Gabe Vadas on the right

During this time we worked together, comforted one another, learned from each other, became good friends and embarked upon our journey as master artist in myself and as a new apprentice to me in John Zemanovich. We continued our investigations around the fraud of Norval Morrisseau and supported one another as best we could as we discovered the rest of the pieces of this Morrisseau puzzle. 

Pictured above: 2 examples of works I did with my former apprentice in John Zemanovich 

During the tail end of our investigations John was working closely with jonathan sommer and kevin hearn. He befriended them and during that course John was specifically instructed by this small time lawyer not to converse with me about some of the information around the art fraud investigation. I was offended by that. The only victory these idiots would ever know was what I brought to the table regarding Thunder Bay, Gary lamont, Dallas Thompson, Tim Tait, and the truth of those Morrisseau children being heavily involved in the fraud of their father, Norval Morrisseau. 

None of that happened on their own accord. Remember that at this time Jonathan Sommer was losing every single court case he was up against. I mean, the other side really had this guys number. He was beaten numerous times in court because quite frankly, the Ontario court system was an utter failure including all police forces across this country. Nobody could solve this at the time. Fuckin nobody.

In reality, I put that together and the entire team at the time knew this. Although they’ve all had a difficult time in acknowledging that. Mostly because of their own inept capacity to truly get anything done. I understood though that this thing was bigger than any of us, personally. The amount of people involved in these discoveries is quite staggering. Yet none of them could get the job done. Over these last few years I’ve watched those mentioned above trying to control this narrative including that douche bag director in Jamie kastner, a real dirty snake in the Canadian film industry, a true rat.

Poster for movie created and painted by: John Zemanovich 

It was during this time around the film of “There are no fakes” that we all began to go our individual ways. I took a break for the last 4 years. All the betrayal, lies and bullshit around this movie was truly the tipping point for me to walk away. I had simply had enough of the stupidity around Norval Morrisseau’s legacy.

The friendship between John Zemanovich and I began to fade away. I had borrowed some money from him on the condition that we would arrange to pay it off through the sales of some of my paintings. This was when he decided to open his new gallery with his OPP police officer wife in Kimm Horne, another soul who impatiently betrayed me at their new gallery found here at: https://ravenartcanada.com/

During this sequence of events I discovered that while they didn’t want to solve the problem with me because of their financial reasonings, they chose to sell the paintings I gave them worth thousands and thousands of dollars. They essentially “sold me out”. They had promised to make me their number one artist, etc and ended up betraying me instead. After everything I did for them and more importantly for John Zemanovich, he ended up selling me out and tossing our friendship to the curb. 

Recently I tried to reach out to make a reconnection and hopefully amend the situation between us but I got nothing. Just a cold and dead response. Oh well, that is their choice, that is their weakness. Sometimes I feel like I let that happen to me when I deserved better, especially after everything I did to help that man and his family come to terms with their “indianess”. 

Pictured above: a Morrisseau replica of Pisces princess. Painted by John Zemanovich 

I challenged John Zemanovich to paint this painting as he thought he could never do it. He gave it to me as my apprentice. I thought about throwing away this painting in the garbage since our falling out but my new apprentice said to keep it. Let it be a reminder to you on what betrayal looks like. That it can come to you in friendship, in apprenticeship and it can look real pretty and all as well. 

In the end, I made this guy not only a better person but a better artist. I put some real love, energy and power into him and he forgot where he came from. Remember, he first came to me as a liar, a cheat. He carried multiple identities like raven Thunderbird, John Christopher and now as the exposed John Zemanovich. 

Maybe one day he will return as to who he really is, white Thunderbird man, the name my family and relatives gave him that day as he sat with us at our 8 Thunderbird family drum, receiving his true identity from true Indians who brought him into the light of who he really is. But he walked away from that as well. What a sad and cold world he lives in. I feel sorry for him and his family. 

I will always wish you the best John. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. I hope that the addiction you are struggling with will some day be solved for you. May your heart and soul find the warmth and love it deserves. May the Creator continue to help you along this journey of life. All my relations....MAJ

An expert review on the new Official Norval Morrisseau.com website

 Good afternoon to each and everyone who comes by my new site. The heart has been heavy these days and my level of inspiration has certainly been affected by the recent discoveries around the genocide of my people at the hands of Canada and the Christian churches. I find it very challenging to share and stay in the loop on other things besides the atrocities we are experiencing and looking for ways to heal and try to find some peace. 

I recently discovered the new “Official Morrisseau” website and spent some time going over the information found on it and the presentation of that information. There are quite a few “holes” around it and I will go into exact detail on what those “holes” are. It definitely appears as though much like Canada is trying to hide their past mistakes, this website and whoever is running it is definitely trying to hide certain facts and truths as well. 

First off, in reviewing this website, they give you absolutely nothing in who the estate of Norval Morrisseau actually is. Who are the people behind this website? When it comes to VIP treatment at the site (I call bullshit on that) who are they? The decision makers on authenticating your paintings that you upload to the site, who are they? What is their knowledge and experience? Is it the estate itself? 

They proudly announce how Norval Morrisseau is the “only” native artist to have a solo exhibition at the national gallery of Canada but that already is not true. The legendary Daphne Odjig was the second native artist to have held a solo exhibition there in 2009. If your going to claim official this or official that, get the information right. This misleads the art lover, buyer and collector. It misleads everyone really. I feel super sceptical when the Information being presented doesn’t line up with the facts. That’s been the whole problem around Morrisseau. 

Problem #2 is this contact and mission statement and their constant references of academia by thanking Carmen Robertson, the NMHS, aiding them along with other so-called researchers, legal authorities and institutions alike with regard to accuracy and truth? Clarity and confidence surrounding the legacy of Norval Morrisseau and the market place? For fuck sakes eh. It’s time to get really honest about those claims. 

First - Carmen Robertson and the NMHS were too scared and afraid along with the estate of Norval Morrisseau to get directly involved in what it really took, to stand up and truly begin to set the record straight. That tireless effort was produced mainly by me, Ritchie Sinclair and John Zemanovich. It was only later that people like Dallas Thompson, Kevin hearn, jonathan summer, Tim Tait, Louise Thomas, Jessica Wilson of Westerkirk, Greg hill at the national gallery, Gerald McMaster and a few others who had hopped on board. 

Secondly - While the estate (Gabe and michelle Vadas minus Morrisseaus children at that time) and academics were pinning their hopes on the R.C.M.P. investigation, and unfortunately for Ritchie Sinclair he became the target of the other side, mainly because of the website: Morrisseau.com, this was when things changed. It was when things were looking pretty dark for us that the tide began to shift. Around this time 2010 to 2013 Dallas Thompson came into my life. And through us working together, his testimony and experiences regarding Lamont and his involvement in the fraud, this particular event had blown the doors off with regard to our investigations. 

Third - At this time we were in full swing campaigning everywhere about these fakes and what a serious problem they were. Thousands of them. All garbage. Both John, Ritchie and myself were doing the brunt of all the work concerning protection of Norvals art. Not the estate, not the NMHS, not the RCMP, not the Morrisseau family foundation, not kinsmen Robinson gallery, not the government of Canada. 

It was spearheaded by 2 true indigenous woodland artists in myself and my apprentice for 10 years in John Zemanovich, and the white Morrisseau protege from Thunder Bay in Ritchie Sinclair, all of us true believers in the spiritual power and energy in the art form, the woodland school of art, Anishanabe art, the Thunderbird school of shamanistic arts. (A Morrisseau vision)

Fourth - Give credit where credit is due. It’s embarrassing watching how people truly operate. For example how this site gives false credit to those like the NMHS and other notable academics as mentioned in regards to clarity and trust regarding the Morrisseau market? Bullshit. There wouldn’t be any clarity or investigation or anything of that nature if it wasn’t for the work being done between Dallas Thompson and I, the O.P.P. sexual assault unit and me coordinating those interviews between Lamont’s abuse survivors and the police. At this point jonathan summer was losing every court case and they had nowhere to turn. This was when he began representing kevin hearn of the Barenakedladies band. 

That was when I posted something on Ritchie Sinclair’s website about Thunder Bay and that I had some new information about the severity of this art fraud. It was also during this time that my apprentice in John Zemanovich was elected to be on the board of the NMHS. To be truthful John was having doubts about being on the board, Ritchie Sinclair was pissed off that he wasn’t chosen and for me? I loved it because it gave me access to the NMHS database and what they had in there as “authentic paintings”. It doesn’t matter what anyone will have to say about that because for me, it has always been about protecting the legacy of Norval as he had asked me to back on 2005. 

Fifth - If it wasn’t for these behind the scenes moves, little or nothing would’ve been accomplished. I flew to Thunder Bay on 4 different occasions and provided council and support for all the sexual assault survivors. No one else at that time even offered to help me. Not one. It was only a few years later that kevin hearn and John Zemanovich who made a significant contribution of their own support that helped out the cause as well. 

I will say this: As my apprentice, John Zemanovich offered more support to me than anyone else. Both him and I did all the clarification in regards to what was in the NMHS database. We got rid of what was fake in that database. I can say because of that work we did, and not the academics on the board of the NMHS, that what was is in that database and the work being done since then, gives them clarity and awareness that none of them had before. That’s a guarantee that both me, John Zemanovich and I’ll agree that Ritchie Sinclair had also had a hand in. 

I have emails from 14 years ago where the estate of Norval Morrisseau agreed that us 3 were the worlds top experts. It’s just the truth. That’s what became of our passion for Norval Morrisseau, our passion for the truth, for justice. We put ourselves out on the line every single day for almost 15 years. Any how at this point, it is imperative that the truth be told. 

I’d be suspect right away when there is zero transparency yet expectations for you to confirm and be validated by whoever is running this site. It doesn’t feel safe and open nor does it feel inclusive, as Norval Morrisseaus art and legacy should make you feel. This fake ass VIP shit is just another scam in the art world. Dont fall for it. Behind it is a world of ego feeding bullshit and a pretend world of giving you an all exclusive tour in Morrisseau land. What’s behind that bullshit is direct access to your wallet. Rolling out the red carpet Like in Hollywood, trying to make you feel all special and all....lol.

Lame as fuck. I have clients from all over the world, I don’t make them jump through loopholes and tap dances. Show up as you are. My portal to my art is an all inclusive opportunity and experience. People are tired of some secret access bullshit. Don’t hide behind all this false razzle and dazzle. It bites and nobody really wants that anymore. People want truth, honesty and transparency. The circle should always be open. That should be the desire of every artist. Not some bozo behind a computer screen.

 Another mistake this official Morrisseau site makes is in their clarity in using this book published by Kinsmen Robinson galleries and key porter books, the book: Travels to the house of invention. There is a wave of fakes that are not the black drybrush done out of toronto ont. by a fucked up guy we’ll call: P.C.

This subject matter came up with don Robinson, paul Robinson and John Newman about these particular fakes. It was witnessed one day when both my apprentice in John Zemanovich and myself made a special trip to KRG. They agreed that there would be a huge issue for them about those fakes. It would bankrupt them and utterly destroy them. That is the truth of what was said to both John and I. We had agreed that in the meantime while knowing that those P.C. fakes were a real problem, we had to put our energies towards solving those sex crimes that Gary lamont was responsible for, and going after the truth around the black drybrush shit because at that time, it was a bigger problem. 

Still, those at KRG find themselves reluctant to be honest with themselves, and the many clients who bought those P.C. fakes being sourced from Yorkville area, maslak mcleod back in the late 1980s and 1990s. Those paintings are all misrepresentations of our culture as Anishanabe because they were forged by another native artist. I mean these fakes are just as bad as this forger can’t even get the legends right like windigo for example. It’s not fish, it’s beavers. 

They are misrepresenting our culture. They are some of the worst examples of Norval Morrisseau art not only because their fake, but the legends are even being done wrong. Some of these examples can be found in travels to the house of invention. These plates were not shown to Norval. That information was confirmed by both gabe and michelle Vadas of the estate. That’s how those fakes got into the book. They can be found on page: 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117. 

I also have a serious problem with don Robinson sneaking in his fake Morrisseau in the second book: return to the house of invention, page 147 of a P.C. fake titled: Self portrait - the artist as storyteller. It’s total garbage in my books. It doesn’t represent the truth about Norval Morrisseau art. It doesn’t represent the truth about my culture. It’s an out right fuckin lie...and that’s exactly what it is. 

I’d like to also add about the reference being given in the above example by the book: professional native Indian artists inc. The group of seven, written/curated by michelle laVallee. There is a fake Morrisseau painting on page: 151 of that book titled:  White mans curse. 1969? It’s garbage. The NMHS know it as well. Because Carmen Robertson had a photo of herself taken with that painting thinking it was a real Norval Morrisseau. She was corrected by both myself, John Zemanovich and Ritchie Sinclair. That’s a fact. KRG know this as well. They have a lot of wrongs they have to correct because that piece of shit painting titled white mans curse is also in travels to the house of invention on pg: 101 of that book. It’s very interesting how those fakes pop up everywhere around KRG. 

It’s not by coincidence. It was a huge mistake to be taken by that garbage. They know it and more importantly, I fuckin know it. I am a guardian of this artform. Make no mistake about it. I have a very complete knowledge of these events and experiences. I lived them. This is the truth being told. To set the record straight because quite frankly the hardest truth I learned around this whole thing was that the colonizer has a lot of problems and issues around money, how they make it, acquire it and so forth. As we know, there is a lot of shady business in the art world. People like those at KRG are weak. They are too easy to corrupt. Too weak to speak up. Too weak period. I feel sorry for anyone who has to deal with that operation over there. It’s embarrassing. 

Any how, here is the example of that fake I just described which can be found in both of those books I mentioned. It’s garbage like this that needs to also be addressed. I would hope that any investigation that is going on would do the right thing and clean up the whole market. Otherwise, it will be an incomplete investigation. And that’s exactly how I feel about it. There are around 10 waves of fakes I’ve seen on the internet Over the years on various art auctions, shitty galleries, shitty dealers that are still trying to convince you, the art buyer that these fakes are legitimate. They are not. 

For now I will continue to open up about the truth of my experience. There are still many unanswered questions surrounding the legacy of Norval Morrisseau. I want to see real ownership take place. Real accountability. I am here to definitely hold those responsible, accountable. It is my culture that needs protection, not that of the white mans crimes and misgivings. Colonialism ends with me. Assimilation ends here. 

My hope is that Norval Morrisseau’s family and his children take ownership for their crimes. They were directly involved and need to seriously step up to the plate. I want to see KRG clean up their mess and their filthy lies. It’s gross how they behave and deceive people. Fuck your money...my culture and it’s truth deserves better than that. They should all be held accountable. The time for real truth is upon us. It’s time for the market to follow suit and rise to the occasion. And everyone else in it...

All my relations, MAJ