The exact year of Norval Morrisseau's birth is not known, but is thought to be between 1931 and 1933 in Northwestern Ontario. Norval started to paint in 1959, after he received a “vision” telling him to do so. He was the first Ojibwa to break the tribal rules of setting down Indian legends in picture form for the white man to see. He was the first Indian to actually draw these legends and design representative shapes to illustrate his folklore. He is considered the founder of the “Woodland Art Movement” a style emulated by many young Ojibwa artists. 

At first he painted on birch bark because that was all he had. He felt he was chosen to set down the great heritage of the Ojibwa; to pass on, in some form of documentation, the traditions and life force of the tribe before it finally disappeared forever. In 1962, Toronto art dealer Jack Pollock “discovered” Norval. He hung 42 original birch bark paintings in his gallery, which sold in 24 hours. 

In 1973, Norval Morrisseau became a member elect of the Royal Canadian Academy and went on to receive his full RCA designation. Morrisseau was awarded the Order of Canada Medal in 1978 by the Governor General of Canada for his contribution to Canadian Art. He is collected by The National Gallery of Canada and is the only First Nations Artist who has had a solo exhibition there. 

Morrisseau was dubbed the "Picasso of the North" by the French Press in 1969 and is considered one of the most innovative artists of the Century. Unlike Picasso, Norval Morrisseau developed a unique style of art in isolation with no connection to European style and influence. He was the only Canadian artist invited by France to contribute and show his work at their Bicentennial Celebration in 1989. While in Europe he toured the galleries to see the works of Master artists. He returned to paint in even more vibrant colours and abstract shapes. 

Norval Morrisseau almost died of illness as a small boy. His mother took him to a Medicine Woman who gave him the powerful Ojibway name Copper Thunderbird to give him strength. He signs all his work using his native name Copper Thunderbird using Cree syllabics taught to him by his Cree wife. 

Although the road to the present has often been a rocky one, few would argue that Norval is one of the most important artists this country has ever produced, native or otherwise. 

• 1995 Eagle Feather from the Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa
• 1980 Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario
• 1978 Order of Canada1970 Appointed a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Art (RCAA)

Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario 

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario 

Art Gallery of Windsor, Toronto, Ontario 

Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Collection 

Canadian Museum of Civilization, Ottawa, Ontario Citicorp of Canada Ltd., Toronto, Ontario City Hall Collection, Toronto, Ontario 

City of Toronto Collection, Toronto, Ontario 

Confederation Centre Art Gallery and MuseumCharlottetown, Prince Edward Island 

Constellation Hotel, Toronto, Ontario Crown Life Insurance, Toronto, Ontario 

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Gatineau, Quebec 

Dodd’s Coal Mines, South Edmonton, Alberta 

Etobicoke Board of Education, Etobicoke, Ontario 

Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta 

Government of Ontario Collection,Toronto,

Ontario Guardian Capital Group, Toronto, Ontario 

Hart House Art Gallery, University of Toronto, Ontario 

Humber College Collection, Toronto, Ontario 

Imperial Oil of Canada, Toronto and Calgary Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario 

McMichael Canadian Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario 

Manitoba Centennial Corporation, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

Montreal Museum of Fine Art, Montreal, Quebec 

Montreal Trust Company Collection Musée du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec 

National Gallery of Canada Noranda Mines Collection, Toronto, Ontario 

Noreen Energy Resources Ltd. Northern Telecom, Toronto, Ontario 

Oakville Centennial Gallery, Oakville, Ontario Ondaatje Corporation, Toronto, Ontario 

Ontario Centennial Committee Collection Proctor and Gamble, Toronto, Ontario 

Province of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba Robertson Art Centre, Binghampton, NY 

Ross Memorial Hospital, Lindway, Ontario 

Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario 

Seneca College, Toronto, Ontario

Simon Fraser Gallery, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia 

The Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario 

Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario 

Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

2019 There Are No FakesDirector: Jamie Kastner

2005 A Separate Reality: the Life and Times of Norval Morrisseau Carvallo, Paul (Producer), for the Life and Times Canada’s Premiere Biography Series, CBC

2004 Stories from the 7th Fire “Winter”Coyes, Greg, animation based on art of Norval Morrisseau

1990 Shaman Never Die Lamothe, Arthur(Director/Producer), Atelier Audio Visuelle, Montreal The Originals (film) Norval Morrisseau Znaimer, Moses; Jim Hanley, City TV, Toronto, Ontario 

1982 Spirits Speaking Through: Canadian Woodland Artists CBC Spectrum Series 

1974 The Paradox of Norval MorrisseauJacobsen, Henning Productions Ltd.; Duke Redbird (Director) Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development 

1973 The Colours of Pride Jacobsen, Henning Productions Ltd. National Film Board of Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs

2006 The National Gallery, Ottawa Canada Norval Morrisseau, Shaman Artist 

2006 Steffich Fine Art, Salt Spring Island, BC Norval Morrisseau : Pictorial Legends 

2002 Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, OntarioEvolution: Four Decades of Work by Norval Morrisseau 

2001 Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba, Brandon, Manitoba Norval Morrisseau: The Red Lake Years 

1999 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario Norval Morrisseau, Bridging the Past to the Future Norval Morrisseau: New Works on Paper 

1997 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario Norval Morrisseau: Travels to the House of Invention 

1994 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario Honouring First Nations – Norval Morrisseau 

1992 Jenkins/Showler Galleries, Whiterock, British Columbia The Spirit Within: Early Paintings by Norval Morrisseau 

1991 Kinsman Robinson Galleries, Toronto, Ontario Norval Morrisseau Wallack Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario 

1990 Kinsman Robinson Galleries Toronto, Ontario Norval Morrisseau:The Shaman’s Return 

1989 The Art Emporium, Vancouver, British Columbia

1988 Sinclair Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia 

1987 Gulf Canada Gallery, Alberta 

1984 Ontario North Now, Ontario Place, Toronto, Ontario Library AA Gallery, Brampton, Ontario 

1983 Art Imperial Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Native American Centre for the Living Arts, Niagara Falls, N.Y., USA Thunder Bay National Exhibition Centre and Centre for Indian Art Thunder Bay, Ontario Norval Morrisseau: Recent Work 

1982 Robertson Gallery, Ottawa, Ontario Norval Morrisseau The New Man Gallery, London, Ontario Nexus Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Moore Gallery Ltd., Hamilton, Ontario Masters Gallery, Calgary, Alberta Scarborough Public Library, Ontario Legacy Art Gallery, Toronto, Ontario 

1981 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Anthony’s Gallery, Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia Thunder Bay National Exhibition Centre and Centre for Indian Art Thunder Bay, Ontario 

1980 Canadian Galleries, Edmonton, AlbertaBayard Gallery, New York, N.Y, USA 

1979 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Oakville Centennial, Gairloch Galleries, Oakville, Ontario The Gallery Stratford, Stratford, Ontario Cardigan-Milne Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

1978 First Canadian Place, Toronto, Ontario 

1977 The Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Norval Morrisseau, Copper Thunderbird – Man Who Became a Thunderbird Graphic Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia 

1976 Pollock Gallery Toronto, Ontario Oakville Centennial Gairloch Galleries, Oakville, Ontario 

1975 Shayne Gallery, Montreal, Quebec Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Gallery 115, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

1974 Beau-xi Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario 

1972 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario Retrospective 

1969 Norval Morrisseau: Peintre indien du Grand Nord Canadien Gallerie Saint-Paul, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France 

1967 Musée du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario La Galerie Cartier, Montreal, Quebec 

1965 Galerie Agnes Lefort, Montreal, Quebec Images Du Folklore Indien – Norval Morrisseau, An Ojibway Artist Hart House Gallery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario 

1964 Red Door Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba 

1962-63 Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario