YOUR AUTHENTIC SOURCE FOR FIRST NATIONS ART, WRITTEN ARTICLES & LIFE EXPERIENCES
I’m feeling a bit discouraged today by this relentless beating we are all taking out here. Our car is now stuck, I have aches and pains all over my body, my quad is tired and is having difficulty moving all this snow. I can’t move much today. I’m tired...
Also, our little community of 350 souls is running out of food supplies, gas and pretty much everything else. Before we got stuck last night, we had to drive for 4 hours to get a loaf of bread. We picked up a few loafs plus extra food supplies and gassed up in the city of Creston BC. The drive back home was treacherous to say the least. I feel super thankful that we made it home albeit getting stuck at the bottom of our driveway.
There were dozens of cars, trucks and transports on the side of the highway. Very brutal to see the devastation happening out here. We will continue to try to deal with this but today I surrender to Mother Earth. You win...momma.
All my relations, MAJ
So while I continue to heal during this time I thought it would be nice to share and reflect on my life and journey as a well established woodland school master artist. I’ve been in this process of reflecting on what separates me from Norval Morrisseau and the different timelines of experiences thus far as a leading force in this woodland school of art. I’ve been at this now for over 36 years. Almost four decades now and as I continue to focus on mastering me and my potential, I have come to truly realize just how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown.
I started drawing woodland art when I was 11 years old. I am a self taught artist. My whole fascination really began when my dad gave his mom, my grandma, a native art painting. It wasn’t until I left for Thunder Bay Ontario at 13 years of age that I actually made my first woodland art painting. It was on a canvas board, about 18 x 24 inches with the subject matter of a crane with a fetus inside it, painted in simple black outlines with a red sun in the top right corner.
Here’s a similar example taken from 1989, a small piece representing my humble beginnings:
Over my three and half decades of experience and practice thus far, I have come a long long way. I have travelled and sold my art all over North America. I have held numerous exhibitions throughout the land and abroad. I have made my way by relying on me. Unlike Norval who had hundreds of people holding his hand along the way. Most of them enablers who always had their own invested interests and financial motives. This is one of the key reasons why Morrisseau was so destructive.
He had around him a cast of characters that he could manipulate because of other people’s motives and desires. Most of that being a money machine that Morrisseau ended up being for countless art galleries and dealers along the way. All hustlers. All wanting a piece of the pie. So sure, one can get a little sloppy with their decisions and choices in life. As they say, you are who you surround yourself with. I got to see so much of that regarding my 15 years of investigating the art fraud surrounding Norval Morrisseau’s legacy.
It was much like being at some haunted house of horrors show in dealing with hundreds of various people along the way of Morrisseau. Too much brokenness, sorrow, lies and deceptions, betrayal and selfishness. Just about everyone of them on both sides of the Morrisseau coin including his own children and family members who betrayed him needing bigtime treatment and healing. That is what I saw as I devoted all those years of my life in being the key architect in saving his artistic legacy. Just as he had asked me to back in 2005.
I still have to say that it remains as one of the shittiest and darkest experiences of my entire life. It’s left me with a bitter taste, a hardened heart. The amount of loss and brokenness around Morrisseau is staggering. I can honestly say to my inner most self that I helped to clean up a ton of karmic mess around this whole thing. If I had never gotten involved the way that I did, this fraud investigation would still be in dead waters. Getting involved in helping to save the lives of all those victims was really the foundation stone of all of this. Justice for those sexual assault survivors, justice for Norval Morrisseau, the world art buying public, collectors, countless museums, galleries, institutions and their various academics and obviously including the Norval Morrisseau estate.
You know after all these years and experiencing all the truth I discovered around all of this I’m actually quite glad to have moved on. Mostly from all the broken people who played a role in finding a way to hurt me. That was the hardest part. Putting my faith in people close to Morrisseau who I thought were the good side. They were of the dark side...and unfortunately were only primarily concerned with themselves. They were cold, calculating and lied to me about who they were.
Title of painting:
The divine realms of Rainbow Thunderbird
In the end learning about the life and art of Norval Morrisseau really did teach me so much about myself. Not so much in the similarities as there are many, but more in our differences along this journey. Look, he’ll always remain the first master of this art form but he most certainly isn’t the only. There are plenty of others in my book who have taken the art form and made it better. I myself can be included in that conversation along with Roy Thomas, Carl Ray, Saul Williams, Leland bell, James Jacko, Roger Kakegamic, Rocky Fiddler, Lloyd Kakepetum, Gelineu Fisher, James Mishinabajima, Isadore Wadow, Richard Bedwash, Brian Marion, Gordon Fiddler, John Rombough, Jim Oskineegish, Blake Debassige, Moses Amik Beaver, Jay Redbird, Randy Trudeau and a few others.
These are the big names I see who have made it their mission to perfect and enlarge upon the style, movement and woodland school itself. The 4th and 5th generation seem to be growing as well but indeed some of them have kind of lost their way. This current decolonization movement called “indigenizing” seems to have gotten off the track. I personally feel like we dont need to Indigenize anything because it’s already here. With us. We are just that. Indigenous. So adding stupid things like a can of Pepsi to a woodland art design or adding cartoon characters to this style seem more about garnering attention on social media than protecting the integrity of our art forms and culture.
I just think there’s no real merit in that shit except stealing colonial ideas, themes and concepts and trying to make it “native” or “indigenous”...lol. It just defeats the purpose really and I don’t think there’s any real magic in any of that. Pop culture shit really and there’s just too much of that garbage floating around now a days. I prefer real spirit in the art I make. That is me. This is my view and experience. I also don’t agree with white people painting this art form, selling it in galleries and passing it off as native art. We all know it’s not so stop pretending. You know who you are...
Paintings by:
Norval Morrisseau (Flowers, birds and butterflies)
In researching the many sides to this Morrisseau puzzle regarding the extensive size and scope of this art fraud and in meeting Morrisseau himself and spending a great deal of time with him before he died in 2007, I have come to see the many differences between him and I. He was definitely more destructive to himself and his family. The disease of alcoholism being fuelled by his own trauma of being in residential school and suffering sexual abuse really took its toll. Even right up until the end, he would sip on a Mickey that Gabe Vadas would give him on our many trips and visits. I saw it with my own eyes so I know the truth. (It’s unnecessary for the estate to lie about Norvals sobriety)
This was and continues to be one of the greatest lessons Ive learned from the life of Norval Morrisseau. Even today I haven’t taken a drop of alcohol in over 23 years now. Sobriety and walking the red road each and everyday has been the catalyst for me getting better and better. Not only as an artist but as a human being as well. I also don’t suffer from the many passions and obsessions that Norval Morrisseau did. I have mastered many of those obstacles where as in Morrisseau those things really defined his experience even up unto his death.
Maybe it’s true what they say, more money more problems. I can only reflect on what I saw and what I experienced and indeed that for me is what defines the differences. Today I would rather hang a Jacobson original in my home, than a Morrisseau. I’ve owned Morrisseau’s and I still own 9 pieces today and will always appreciate the beauty and power of most of his work. But after everything that I saw and learned regarding his art, life and legacy? I’d hang a Jacobson over a Morrisseau any day of the week. I suppose that is one of the telling signs when you’ve outgrown your mentors, those before you and so on.
As we should, building upon the great foundations of those before us. I think they would want it that way. That each of us should take the lessons of those before us, truly learn from them and continue to build forward and upward. That is what an art movement should be all about. Perfecting it. Making it better from one generation to the next. I know there will be others like me who see the challenge as a great one...and why not? For it is the very inspiration that creates the hunger for even greater innovation in the ingenuity and creativeness in the human spirit, the human being. The human soul. All my relations....MAJ
Title of painting:
In honour of our son - Sagein Wisdom
Healing and moving onward and forward. I am grateful to see it all...in honour of the souls of our children. All my relations and I’ll ride ride ride for them this morning...
That is exactly what the rule of law is on our holy and sacred lands. A grotesque perversion of colonial white settler racism in its ugliest and shittiest of forms. Oh Canada, your home on stolen lands. Killing little innocent children in the name of progress, in pride of being a so called Canadian. Super fuckin gross and super fuckin disturbing if you ask me.
Everything I have said has come true up to this point. The absurd apology of the pope of the Catholic Church is meaningless. It has zero depth and weight. Apologizing for murder wouldn’t cut it in any courtroom across Canada as a solution that would suffice. How the fuck could it? Any normal person knows that getting away with crimes against humanity is much like nazi Germany getting away with war crimes against the Jews.
It is skin crawling disgusting. I think of anyone being proud to be a Canadian and it gives me the major shivers and hee bee gee bees. Holy fuck is right. Giving your life in honour of this country and it’s real history of murdering tens of thousands of innocent children and building your settler dreams on the very backs of these dead children makes you really think about values. I know this:
I’m absolutely grateful to be awake and to have the veil lifted so that I can truly see things as they are. I am a sovereign Anishanabe. I will continue to speak for those whose voice was robbed of them by Canada and their agents of death, the Catholic and Christian churches along with the RCMP. All twisted fucks. I’m in a place of deep healing and reflection and I will need some time to rest for a while...my soul is tired. My heart is heavy and I need time to heal from these continual acts of genocide...MAJ
Title of painting: Universal sharing of the genetic codes
The New York Times really broke open the story in 2017 by the release of classified videos regarding the Nimitz encounters and what is now commonly known as the Tic Tac ufo incident. Over 4 months ago the pentagon confirmed that all these videos and photos of the incident are infact authentic. Now, that being said, we First Nations have known about these entities as “star nation” for tens of thousands of years.
I have had dozens and dozens of experiences myself. All of them being fast moving orbs of light, changing colours and many of them moving in different directions. All signs of intelligence and with the confirmation of the pentagon, they have also released a detailed report to the U.S. senate in June of 2021 as well confirming this reality.
Title of painting: Cosmic consciousness
For me, on many of my experiences I’ve also had witnesses who have seen them with me including a couple family members who were literally blown away that I could summon them and they would show up. I really believe that they are open to revealing themselves to those with a beautiful heart. It’s always a non threatening experience for me. More or less a display of their capabilities and technology. A fantastic light show if you will.
We are most definitely in one of the most exciting periods of discovery ever, in human history. I feel so blessed to be in this awareness. It is a powerful energy no doubt. Their abilities with being trans medium, no propulsion, able to move in impossible g force conditions, breaking our known understandings of the laws of physics and being able to appear then disappear is some of the most intriguing energy around this phenomenon. Any how I feel so honoured that the time for disclosure is upon us. Slowly and step by step is how it has to be done.
Enjoy this video as it gives a very clear cut idea into the subject matter at hand...wishing you all the highest good as we move into these new realities. All my relations, MAJ
THE VIDEO:
Added note:
This is a photo of him running the smudging ceremony at the studio and with the eagle feather he is blessing me with the sacred medicines. He has a natural way about himself with these regards. He instinctively knows how to use these tools in a gentle and loving way. He makes me so super proud. He really is the most profound and life changing soul I have ever met in my entire life. Nobody even comes close.
My journeys in life have been plenty. I’ve been to hundreds of sweatlodge ceremonies. I’ve sponsored several peyote meetings as well. I have learned many different prayer songs and ways to communicate with the spirit. My culture has been the foundation for me to heal from these active crime scenes of genocide upon my people across these stolen lands being occupied by the abuser in Canada. The deadly cause and effects of colonialism have been a major unwanted thorn in our sides. The time for real change is upon us.
We are survivors of genocide, but we are also some of the most beautiful souls on this planet. We live in 2 worlds at the same time. Our new found heritage and the cultural strength and power that that represents, and the evil and wicked regime of this sick and twisted colonial occupation. So it is here, in this reality that I aim to father my son with the very best of who I am, each and every day. He deserves it and so do I. After all the shit Ive had to live through and overcome I am so much better prepared than my parents ever were. I have slain many dragons and have broken multi generational cycles. I am a change agent and have created my whole life out of defeating the odds. Those who really know me know this to be fact.
And that is where this all matters. It’s for him, my boy. To have a much deeper and better experience moving forward one day at a time. He will reap the benefits of my experience. He will know what I know in these regards. He is willing to learn and to bring more light to the human being experience. And for that, my heart sings...for him, my little chief, my warrior’s prayer living the most beautiful and enlightened life that I can give him. My dream come true...my Sagein Wisdom...
All my relations, MAJ
Enjoy this prayer song by Louie Gonnie. A master in ceremonies of the peyote way...
I am born of both these worlds so it is wise for me to share my experience strength and hope in regards to turning the game around. Everyone can benefit from my truth and experience. The reality is I am a whole being. One with all things. Never separate from the whole. There is indeed all kinds of shit I don’t agree with etc in how we have been conditioned to believe and treat one another but underneath that static, is the power.
I am grateful that my reach is expanding and growing. It has always been about the healing and coming together of each and everyone of us. Time and space affords all kinds of shifts and changes. I see the underlying current of this force, this unified energy. It doesn’t matter what the mind thinks in this regard. It is the soul that should be in full control of who you are. That is where the true power is.
With that, I just wanted to express my gratitude that there are millions of souls around the world who are resonating with this new found energy and power. It is newly found for many because one must peel away the layers of bullshit that hide us from this divine knowledge and power. The colonial playbook is just that.
All my relations and chi-meegwetch, MAJ
Rather than my mind on my money and money on my mind....
Times are a changing. The frequency is super high right now. We must change and destroy this current colonial playbook.
The ways of exploitation must die. We simply cannot keep this current program and think that it’s all hunky dory. We must be more in alignment with the original principles of creation. We must become better servants of this planet and the future of creation upon her...every move forward matters. I love you and wish you only the ultimate highest good.
From my soul to yours....all my relations, MAJ
Enjoy this track. It’s absolutely brilliant by Tone Depth. Track title: TERRA.
Track title: what could have been. Artist/DJ: Anthony Middleton:
I will always be known as the first native artist in either First Nations or Canadian history who has done so to date. Not even the Norval Morrisseau Heritage society will ever be able to claim that. We took care of that business here in regards to safe guarding the important and sacred artistic legacy @ Jacobson native art.
Actions speak louder than words and that is something very important with me in regards to taking care of the integrity of my artistic legacy. In dealing with the shady business practices and gross negligence with the Norval Morrisseau estate, I quickly learned that it is never a wise decision to leave this in the hands of others. Not while I’m alive. I must do everything to set the record straight in this regard. What happened to Morrisseau was and will always be, a national disgrace.
That will not happen with me thank goodness. One, my quality is superior to Morrisseau. Two, this authorized resource will be one of the best defences against fraud and other various forms of forgery. To have the opportunity to take care of these details while I’m alive and in my prime of life is an excellence that I try to capture in every piece I create.
Those who collect and invest in Jacobson native art deserve that attention to detail and excellence as well. It is a symbiotic relationship between artist and collectors. It is a divine relationship in its essence, the art and the spirit of that being tied to all things. We are the sacredness of the circle. Clarity and integrity are a vital part of my legacy. All my relations, MAJ
Link: https://markanthonyjacobsoncatalogueraisonne.blogspot.com/
Good afternoon to each and everyone who continues to find me here @ Jacobson native art. Well as many of us know today is the first annual national truth and reconciliation day. Definitely another move in the right direction but a very small move it is. There is such a list of grievances against this nation called Canada.
There are many agents who are guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity including the Catholic Church, many other Christian churches as well including many of the police forces as well as the RCMP. It’s absolutely disgusting on so many levels. How, (their rule of law was invented on stolen Indian land) when the white man says to follow the rule of law but they cannot follow it themselves. They choose to find ways to hide from their crimes, to bend the law, the rules and everything else they get their fuckin hands on, to their own advantage. It’s a real dr. Jeckel and mr. Hyde scenario.
Canada and most Canadians simply cannot be fully trusted. Most Canadians are complete airheads when it comes to the history of how Canada came to be. (Even the white man in me knows this) How they got what they got....(stolen goods from stolen lands resources etc). Most Canadians dont even know how bad they got it. They are so colonized and assimilated that they literally can’t even think for themselves so they vote for white colonial so-called leaders to do the thinking for them.
And that is exactly the reason why Canada continues to fail miserably with us First Nations. Obviously there are tens of thousands of more reasons on top of that but the reality is Canada is a genocidal program built on the murder of us First Nations and the continual raping and exploitation of our resources. Our wealth. The colonial doctrine of discovery is a racist and discriminatory action against First Nations and other indigenous tribes throughout the world.
Canadians whether they know it or not, their so called country is built on this foundation. Land theft, resource theft, murder, rape, stealing our children, racism, discrimination, hate, violence, force and control. Building your dreams as Canadians on the backs of oppression, on the very backs of us First Nations. That is what Canada is. That is what it means to identify as a Canadian. It’s gross I know. But this is the truth. And we cannot have true reconciliation until we deal with these matters of truth.
I’ve always said since my awakening into my own process of decolonization and for the last few years now being in the pursuit of my sovereignty as Anishanabe that reconciliation will take time. In fact, the way I see it is that the cultural fabric of this country is still in the discovery of the truth phase. We have not even truly begun to deal with what real reconciliation will look like.
Still even in the thickness of all of this, I must continue to remain hopeful. The fog of assimilation is beginning to lift albeit very slowly across our lands. I have friends who wouldn't be able to grasp any of this 5 years ago. They now can talk more openly with me about it. I see organizations and people beginning to stand up more and more with regard to how this must shift and change for all First Nations and Canadians alike.
The levels of Colonialism, discrimination, racism, prejudice, class distinction, lies and deceptions and out right fraud is absolutely fuckin unbelievable. I’ve been in this business for over 35 years now. I’ve seen it all across these stolen lands. It’s despicable how many of these operations treat us First Nations. The greed, ego and outright selfishness is some of the ugliest shit I’ve seen from many of these galleries I’m going to list.
This list is to educate my buyers and collectors on the pitfalls of dealing with these very galleries who in one form or another as labelled, have qualified to be permanently blacklisted. These are my honest and accurate accounts and experiences. Let’s get into the details:
#1: National gallery of Canada - Colonial institution founded on racism and genocide (I simply don’t give a shit about the national gallery)
#2: Kinsmen Robinson gallery - Scumbag pathetic liars who sold fake Morrisseau’s (Paul Robinson is a complete douche bag)
#3: Bearclaw gallery - sold fake Morrisseau’s, liars and cheating scumbags
#4: Eagle spirit gallery - Owner Rob Scott is a 2 bit hustler scumbag (sells fake Morrisseau’s)
#5: Donnachild fine art - sold fake Morrisseau’s, lied to many unsuspecting buyers, art fraud
#6: Koyman galleries - sell fake Morrisseau’s (deceiving art buying public)
#7: Raven art Canada - Betrayed and sold out by owner John Zemanovich and wife
#8: Friends united - One 0f the worst experiences Ive ever had selling art to a client
#9: Norval Morrisseau estate - gross negligence, untrustworthy, very cold unstable energy
#10: Red kettle collectables - selling various waves of Norval Morrisseau fakes
#11: Black sheep gallery - sell fake Morrisseau’s with some real Morrisseau’s
#12: Brights gallery - owner peter was warned about his fake Morrisseau’s, he continues to sell them right up to this very day
#13: Jim White distribution - one of the biggest distributors of fake Morrisseau’s, fake prints of fakes, major copyright Infringement, out right art fraud
#14: Bremner & Bremner fine art - currently sell fake Morrisseau’s
#15: Ugo Matulic - fake Morrisseau art collector and dealer, a lying scumbag, a total piece of shit
#16: Several Canadian Museums and institutions - currently in possession of stolen property and cultural artifacts. Colonial framework still operational in this, the 21st century. It’s absolutely disturbing. Please do the right thing and give back our cultural property and wealth, thank you.
So, there you have it at this point. Clearly I have had my issues with these various false entities who pretend that they represent the truth. Clearly, they do not. It takes a serious grievance and a series of let downs that are marked in deceptions, lies, selfishness and wronging me with disrespect that will finally break the camels back. Those who truly know me know that I have a very big heart. I’m willing to go to bat for many many different types of people out there. But if you fuck around? Guess what? You’ll find out...you won’t be around me, no more. My inner circle is vitally important to me. Sometimes thats what it takes to take care of yourself and your environment.
All my relations, MAJ
Painting in progress...
The spiritual reality of this has had and continues to have a very deep and profound effect on me. I am a direct product of the genocide and abuses of residential schools and what Canada has tried to do in wiping out my family bloodlines as Anishanabe. I am a 60’s scoop survivor. I truly represent the seeds they couldn’t destroy.
I am alive and I have a son who is also a seed they cannot destroy. We are the true spirit and life of the Anishanabe. We are stronger than ever and we will overcome. It is our destiny. We are masters at living in 2 worlds at the same time. It makes us very powerful. We will continue to thrive and move forward with a steadfast spirit honouring our ancestors, our children and ourselves.
I’m currently working on several paintings here in the studio. I am working on the above mentioned tripdych set titled: Healing the souls of our children. It has been very challenging to find the light of inspiration in such a dark energy with regard to the murder of our children. But this painting needs to happen. I must find their love, light and power and share this with the world.
Their spirits are guiding me in this piece. It has been one of the hardest paintings I’ve ever had to make. To find this painting in a sea of darkness...that’s exactly how it has been. I will continue to find a way within to accomplish this feat...to honour them, the souls of our children for all generations...past, present and future. All my relations, MAJ