Norval Morrisseau R.C.A., O.C., Copper Thunderbird, was born March 14, 1932 on Sand Point Ojibwe Reserve, near Beardmore, Ontario north of Thunder Bay.  Norval Morrisseau is the founder of the Woodland school, also known as Legend or Medicine painting, and is often referred to as the Grandfather of the Woodland style.  Norval Morrisseau’s work has been inspirational to at least three generations of artists that number in the hundreds.  Norval Morrisseau has received awards and honours of the highest level too numerous to mention, including the Order of Canada in 1978.  Norval Morrisseau was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and was the only Canadian painter asked to exhibit in Paris French Revolution bicentennial, 1989.  The National Gallery of Canada pays homage to this rare individual with the presentation of Norval Morrisseau – Shaman Artist, its first solo exhibition of a First Nations artist which runs until April 30, 2006.  Films on Norval Morrisseau include The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau by the National Film Board and the CBC: Life and Times of Norval Morrisseau