As a master artist and spiritual being, I am in a very powerful place with myself these days

 

Public statement here @ Jacobson native art. My spirit is thriving and my life is blessed. I am proud to be a father to my son, Sagein Wisdom who is the light of my world. I’ve been sober for 25 years now. Grateful to have been recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. One day at a time. 

My energy is aligned with the  spiritual wisdom of truth. I am destroying dragons and useless myths built on the corruption and lies of the colonizer. I am truth and reconciliation. I am light. I am power. I am love. 

I am a master. I am sovereign as my birthright of being Anishanabe. I am Rainbow Thunderbird. I am a guardian and protector for my people for future generations to come. I am honoured to be apart of the living legacy of the great Anishanabe. All my relations. 🌈🦅🌈

P.S: Enjoy this track by Hannes Bieger titled: Poem for the planet. It has encrypted messages from me to you. I am an artist. I use all forms of creativity to get my messages across...

WHAT WE LEAVE HERE MATTERS....

Important news today @ Jacobson native art: Vatican formally renounces Doctrine of discovery after decades of Indigenous demands

 

By Nicole Winfield  The Associated Press

Posted March 30, 2023 4:45 am

 

 

The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery,” the theories backed by 15th-century “papal bulls” that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Indigenous lands and form the basis of some property law today.

A Vatican statement said the 15th-century papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of  indigenous peoples” and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith.

It said the documents had been “manipulated” for political purposes by colonial powers “to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples that were carried out, at times, without opposition from ecclesial authorities.”

The statement, from the Vatican’s development and education offices, said it was right to “recognize these errors,” acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask for their forgiveness.

The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas for the sake of spreading Christianity.

Those decrees underpin the “Doctrine of Discovery,” a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court decision that has come to be understood as meaning that ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they “discovered” it.

It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

During Pope Francis’ 2022 visit to Canada, during which he apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential school system that forcibly removed Indigenous children from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal repudiation of the papal bulls.

In the statement, the Vatican said: “In no uncertain terms, the Church’s magisterium upholds the respect due to every human being. The Catholic Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and political “doctrine of discovery.”

The Vatican offered no evidence that the three 15th-century papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials have often said.

But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples shouldn’t be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, and were not to be enslaved.

It was significant that the repudiation of the “Doctrine of Discovery” came during the pontificate of history’s first Latin American pope. The Argentine Francis, who even before the Canadian trip, had apologized to Indigenous peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era conquest of the Americas. It was issued while he was in the hospital Thursday with a respiratory infection.

Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Vatican’s culture office, said the statement was a reflection of the Vatican’s dialogue with Indigenous peoples.

“This Note is part of what we might call the architecture of reconciliation and also the product of the art of reconciliation, the process whereby people commit to listening to each other, to speaking to each other and to growth in mutual understanding,” he said in a statement.

I stand with the AFN chiefs regarding Bill - C21 here @ Jacobson native art

 

I agree that this new bill - C21 has a whole lot of issues and problems with it. I also don’t agree with the government of Canada trying to take away more of our rights and protections. Be weary of those who choose to sell their souls to the government. 

The government of Canada for multi generations now has been guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. They have long been an instrument of abuse, scandal and utter horror to our people. It’s a shame so deep that most Canadians have really no clue how or why they got what they got. They don’t even understand the concept of white privilege they’ve been so bamboozled. 

Photo: picture taken as an art piece. Summer of 2022

Colonialism is the great evil from the time of discovery to now. This plague continues to go on and on and on...Sadly. Hope is a strange thing sometimes. Even in these times we must continue to stand for what is right and what is true. Even though I’m not into guns and prefer other ways of catching food in the bush etc, I still feel that we must be able to protect ourselves and those we love with the integrity of our rights. I for one stand with that, the truth of survival. The truth of protecting our loved ones and families. All my relations MAJ

Under the umbrella of truth and reconciliation, this current exhibition @ Royal Ontario Museum and Jacobson native art steps forward...

Good evening. Blessings moving forward and wishing wellness and healing to each and everyone. Thank you for all the kindness and support and here’s to better things ahead. Indeed this exhibition is about just that, moving forward. We must continue to find new paths and open new doors towards one another. This process of truth and reconciliation hasn’t been an easy one. 

This project is about pushing forward with healing energy and power. Here in the 21st century we must continue finding new ways of creating space and dialogue in honour of the healing, the awareness and wisdom of reconciling our history. So that today can be a better place for our people. To learn to live in harmony together for the future. It starts with every single one of us. Any how, thanks for simply just understanding. We heal together. For the future...

All my relations and I’ll leave you with a quote from FB:

I didn’t even want to do this exhibition because of my awareness regarding genocide to us Indians from the hands of Canada and many of their institutions.

Finally I thought about the residential school children and thought to myself with them in prayer:

The art and our culture is the bridge to healing these wounds.

Let this be a channel through truth and reconciliation to help bridge the gap.

It’s the main reason why I did the line in the first place. Not only did I want indigenous peoples working with my designs but I and the souls of the children envisioned white old ladies and immigrants from all over the world who call our land home, working together. Creating “good medicine”.

Thus the line is called: Healing waters. 🌈🦅🌈

Happy 5th birthday to my incredible and beautiful son Sagein Wisdom @ Jacobson native art

Enjoying life and things are well here at the studio. My son celebrates 5 years of being on Mother Earth. What a gift. This lil guy has effected me and changed my life in such a way he truly is my shining light in this world and in this life. Here he is resting after another masterpiece sculpture from him...lol. He’s the best, what class. What a mind, what a soul. My boy...my greatest love in  the entire universe...

Happy birthday sonny boy. We enjoy these incredible DJ sets when we hang out and create together. It’s the coolest thing. It’s another reason why he’s such a Jacobson boy. He loves music and dancing and singing...such a joy. I love you...

Dadda. 
 

Enjoy this 2 hour set by Artbat from the Ukraine playing in Rio de Janeriro Brazil.

Honouring true apprenticeship in the heart of the woodland school @ Jacobson native art

Good afternoon to each and everyone and thank you for all the positive energy and love these days as we transition into another season heading into the wonders of the great snowfall. Sitting up here deep in the Kootenay mountains I recently had the honour of one of my apprentices of 3 years now come up from Vancouver to pay a visit.

We got to hang out and paint, paint and paint. We shared life stories, teachings and the spiritual connection and powers inherent in the woodland school of art. That there is an order of actions and protocols that one should learn in practicing the art form. For those that do not know this or in whom do not practice the spirituality of the art? You are completely missing the point. You are lost at sea...most likely lost in the abyss of colonialism. 

It is important to have understanding of the spirits of these animal clan totems in which we are blessed to work with. A working knowledge of feasting the spirits and ancestors as there is spirit memory attached to these energies involving the clarity of the art form and its spirit. We must be humble in this regard because one can hurt themselves as in the case of Morrisseau himself. Guys like Roy Thomas, Gelineau Fisher, Moses Amik Beaver, Blake Debassige, Saul Williams, my uncle Jimi Oskineegish along with a few others understood this. 

The ability to practice a good sense of living your life in a good way. I would say that sobriety from alcohol is also key as the temple of the artist should be well balanced with that as well. Things like peyote, mushrooms or even pot should be regarded as medicine. For it grows from our earth mother to help us in these regards. I’m a peyote boy and have been involved with sponsoring meetings etc for 20 years now. That medicine is very very powerful for us here on turtle island. The only real way to use it is in ceremony and to pray with it, throughout the night with a fire by your side. 

These things I have found to benefit my spiritual health and practice. I pray every day and do something ceremonially each day as well. My life is a living spiritual experience. This is the light that can be found in our art. This is the love found in who we are. The great Anishanabe. An honour to carry this life force into my very being, a greater honour to pass on this awareness and knowledge. From one brother to another....

All my relations...MAJ 

Enjoy this Peyote prayer song titled: A new dawn by Louie Gonnie. A respected brother...

Celebrating the successful end of season @ Jacobson native art 2022 edition

 

Good evening to each and everyone. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve last posted but indeed it is because of a very successful season. I am absolutely delighted to have been able to touch thousands of souls this summer. What an incredible and life changing experience. The spiritual energy and power that was being exchanged throughout the summer of 2022 will last a lifetime. 

I’m super happy to know that there is a needed spiritual force taking shape across the cultural fabric of our lands as First Nations and both Canadians and travellers from around the world got to share in the healing. Most important though this year is the growth and development of my boy, Sagein. He loved it at the gallery and open art studio this year. He’s only 4 years old but wow did he ever touch a lot of lives.

A real big and significant experience for him was meeting all kinds of new people from around the world. You could tell how impacted he was by everyone and he grew a liking to each and everyone who were inclined by his energy and presence.He was my sidekick at the gallery, helping dadda close a few sales and having a bunch of fun in the process. 

I must admit it was a lot of hard work showing up and giving er everyday for weeks on end. Quite a shift after the pandemic and being withdrawn from human activity like the rest of the world was from 2020 to this summer of 2022. All in all it was fantastic and I’m looking forward to next season with new plans and actions that are manifesting. Until then my friends I say chi-meegwetch to all of you and wishing you all beautiful energy and love...all my relations, MAJ 

Enjoy this track by George Fitzgerald - Setting sun. In honour of my boy, Sagein Wisdom

I love you son.  Forever...

Continuing to build these dreams @ Jacobson native art

 

Good afternoon to each and everyone. It’s been a busy last 7 weeks since our opening. We are gliding nice and high like being on the wings of an Eagle. The transformations taking shape are tremendous and beautiful. Our goals and aspirations are growing and we continue to make genuine contact with each new visitor and provide a wonderful safe space for deep and meaningful conversations and exchanges to take shape.

We are growing...we are dreaming @ Jacobson native art. All my relations, MAJ

Enjoy this track by lazarusman and stimming: your dreams 

Life and love being shared and multiplied @ Jacobson native art

Things are going absolutely phenomenal these days @ Jacobson native art. Every day is filled with excitement, spirit, creativity and healing. It’s a real dream come true. I feel so grateful and appreciative of this new direction in my life. My gallery partner in Johnny and fellow master artist in Kurtis and the rest of the team is delighted beyond measure. We are all super happy...

Also the creative energy has been picking up significantly and I’m getting ready to maximize the outdoor art studio over the next coming weeks. The temperature will be much more efficient during the fall into Indian summer. So I’m getting really excited about that. I have numerous commissions to execute and this season has been just explosive regarding all this new energy.

Today at the gallery and art studio we had the honour and privilege to clean up this eagle we found a couple weeks back. We feasted the eagle clan and offered our tobacco offerings in a good way. We took care of all aspects of this sacred bird. We believe this was a gift to us from Creator and Mother Earth. The skull is being prepared, 2 eagle bone whistles, tail fan, 2 wings and talons being cured. We know from these signals of the spirit that indeed all is well. We are on the path...and with that I say chi-meegwetch to all my relations and enjoy this Peyote prayer song by Louie Gonnie titled: Spheres and Talismans.

This is how powerful and beautiful it felt for us today dealing with the Eagle...

New photos of our gallery space and room 2 (the working studio) here @ Jacobson native art

Good morning to each and everyone. Here’s to new blessings and new directions as we turn the page and open our creative temple to the world. The grand opening was a big success and we’ve been dealing high energy and volume here in what is now our peak season. The community is excited and hundreds of new souls continue to find us here deep in these Kootenay mountains.
 

This photo captures the essence upon arrival here at the gallery. We are being our true and authentic selves here and the region is buzzing. Lots of action every single day. We’ve been going hard 7 days a week and every morning waking up to this new reality is a dream come true. 

This photo gives you an interesting perspective of some of the energy and art that we’ve got happening here. So far all of our new visitors have felt warmly welcomed and over joyed with our enthusiasm and energy. All have been deeply inspired by our new gallery.

Here in this photo we have a clear shot of our lounging area. A place to take a breather and take in the vibe at Jacobson native art. We have children’s books, educational materials, travel mugs and limited editions on stretched canvas. 

Here’s another cool shot giving you another look at what we have in the gallery. Beautiful shirts with incredible First Nations art and designs being offered. We have an eclectic selection we believe and offer a variety of interesting and incredible art pieces. 

Here is room 2 of the gallery studio space. We have 25 foot ceilings and mega space to create bigger works of art. We have a lot of room for workshops, fellow artists in our community to come and hang out and just paint. I love it...it feels so awesome and exciting.

Once again here’s another section of this incredible space. With dozens of paintings on the go and all of them in various stages, it truly gives the onlooker a real sense of what an actual working studio and gallery space feels like. 

We are absolutely delighted to be bringing such cultural depth and light to the Kootenay region. At this level, it’s never been done out here before. I’m the first. I feel so honoured to be spearheading such an amazing force in regards to our spiritual energy and power. 

Here’s the staircase and another viewpoint of the space, room 2. Room 3 above is a spot for the antique lovers of the world. We wanted to have a little something for the soul travellers out here. I’ve always loved antiques and weird odds and ends as I like to call that. 

This is another angle from above at the top of the staircase. Just to give some size in space and perspective. The feeling is one of warmth, creativity and spiritual energy. Our passion comes from within and our vision is to connect each and everyone who comes through our gallery. Culture is the foundation. Spirit is the guiding light.

The amount of energy we have put out over the last 30 days has been absolutely transformative. We are here. We are open and ready to serve each and everyone with the highest principles of love, hope, faith and creativity. It has been an exciting ride so far and every day is a new experience meeting so many incredible souls who are embracing our new vision and dream. 

To share the brilliance of our culture through art, ceremony and spirit. I’ll continue to upload new stories and articles as we trudge the road of a happy destiny. Until then, enjoy the photos and I hope to see you come by and make the effort to come out  and find me...

All my relations, MAJ

We did it. Our new art gallery and studio is open and ready for the world here @ Jacobson native art

A beautiful good morning to each and everyone. I have exciting news to share with you. It’s finally happened and we are here deep in the Kootenay mountains opening up our very own First Nations art gallery and studio. It literally is a dream come true. I feel so happy and joyful. It’s been a vision of mine for quite some time and now, we are here. 

Pictured above here is our Golden eagle which will welcome every single soul who enters our creative temple. It is an honour to be able to share our culture and art with the world. Our passion and enthusiasm is off the charts. Everyone is getting excited for our grand opening this coming Saturday. 

This 3rd photo showcases where much of the purchasing business will be handled. The atmosphere is deeply spiritual and filled with authentic indigenous art and culture throughout our studio grounds. Our mission and desire is to share our wealth of spirit and that knowledge with each and everyone. This will be a major cultural experience where all are welcome. 

Here in this 4th photo is another example and perspective of our gallery. We will be having a sacred fire pit behind the gallery space with a full on tipi experience with an outdoor art studio. We are also building our sweatlodge and will have that up and running in a couple weeks. It’s been super busy getting ourselves  organized and ready for our launch. Every day is absolutely worth it in every way. I’m so grateful for this amazing opportunity. 

Here’s another shot giving you a view of our room one experience. We have a wood stove here as well to help us keep warm when the seasons change. My partner Johnny and his wife are absolutely stoked. Our connection is deeply spiritual and filled with daily fun and laughter. It’s truly healing how we all share and communicate with one another. It’s so refreshing for my soul as well. 

Here is the entry to our gallery space. It’s a big sliding wooden door being protected by the eagle staff hanging above. This is a unity staff which will be shared with all my relations. That is the vision and the gift that I was given regarding the development of this space. The ancestors and our residential school children want me to share my medicine with the world. And so....I shall. 

What an absolute blast we’ve been having on our new journey. The excitement and anticipation is so much fun. I really am beginning to feel at home here in these mountains. I love it here so much. I get to wake up right in the heart of Mother Earth each and everyday. The blessings are in manifestation and this dream is now a reality. I am so thankful and honoured to be Anishanabe. To be a voice for my culture, the spirits of creation and our Mother Earth. To walk in beauty once again...

More information and photos to come. I’ll update you all as I continue to explore this new vision with various experiences and new stories. I wish you all a wonderful new day and thank you for being a part of my life, art and journey. All my relations, MAJ 

With deep respect and love we say goodbye to a cherished soul here @ Jacobson native art

Blessings to each and everyone. Sadly we lost one of the best souls I ever had the honour to meet. A friend  of mine for over 25 years, a genuine and loving brother who shared his experience, strength and hope with me on a regular basis. Known him for over half my life. 

A peyote man, road man, sun dancer, sweatlodge chief and a father, grandfather and friend to tens of thousands. He was the first one to introduce me to the medicine “Ogima Mushgigi”. I’ve had the honour and privilege to sponsor several “meetings” and hold dear to my heart and soul, the spiritual powers of grandfather peyote. 

Loved...

Thank you my brother for all the love, lessons and shared teachings and vision. You will be greatly missed but I will forever remember you and think on you, often. Every time I give the grandfathers in the sweatlodge a drink of water, I’ll think of you. With the deepest and most sincere gratitude for everything you taught me...With all the love in the world....I’ll miss you. All my relations, MAJ

 FOR YOU MY FRIEND: 

Our heart and soul is beginning to heal now around the trauma of recovering our residential school children...

 

It sure has been a very challenging and difficult journey over these last 14 months going through this deep and dark trauma of discovering all these murdered children across our stolen lands...known as colonial Canada. Many of these children are still yet to be discovered. This has been a challenging time processing all of this. I feel as though I am beginning to come to terms with this horrific reality. The emotional scaring has been so difficult to examine and feel. In honour of these beautiful children I had to go through it to truly understand my relationship to this. What it means to me as an Anishanabe, a 60’s scoop survivor, a direct descendent of the horror of residential schools.  

In the second photo above is a ceremonial letting go and turning my back on anything and everything, Christian. I took all of these items and references out of my home 5 years ago, said a prayer to the CREATOR and dropped down a tobacco offering. It was done as part of my spiritual journey to decolonize. This act symbolizes my cutting these ties permanently and completely surrendering to my Indianess, my sovereignty as an Anishanabe soul here on our land, my land. I’ve also made the commitment 5 years ago as well to never step inside a church ever again. Never. I’m absolutely and 100% done. The roots must be completely severed from the abuser in order to completely surrender to the healing and move on. That is my experience. 

And so it is and so it will be, focusing on the new path forward. Believing in the future of my people, our healing and wellness being the seat of the soul so to speak. Trying to be an example of the power rather than a power of example. Creator spirit is this light I am speaking to. Although this year has been a really challenging one for so many effected by these tragedies we will continue to heal and find new and meaningful ways to come together and work as a family should, the human family. We all can benefit from learning how to be more loving towards one another. In honour of the souls of these children I will continue to try and be a better me each and every day. Sending love and healing to everyone who needs it...all my relations, MAJ

Congratulations to Rafael Nadal on 14 French open titles and for a total of 22 grand slam championships here @ Jacobson native art

Good evening and thank you for all the good vibes and energy over these last few months. The journey has been a grind in the arena of life but we find our way through by being persistent, motivated, dedicated and willing to do whatever it takes to get to the other side. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a huge tennis fan and absolutely love the game. 

I’ve been watching and playing it for years. I have learned a great deal from many of these athletes who play the game. I watch many of the interviews from both the winners and losers of these intense physical matches and different strategies. I’ve been a fan of Rafa since he burst on to the scene in 2005. He’s my favourite player of all time and it’s a privilege watching this guy compete. Ive learned a lot through the years and I am so impressed with what Rafa has achieved in the open era. 

So, with that, a special congratulations to Rafael Nadal for being the all time leader with 22 grand slam championships and for out pacing both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (currently tied at 20 slams each) and doing what will probably never be achieved again at Roland Garros in Paris, France....14 titles alone in one of four grand slam events throughout the yearly tennis season. Absolutely incredible....VAMOS RAFA!

All my relations, MAJ