The Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporated (PNIAI), also known as the Indigenous Group of Seven, was a group of Canadian artists who came together in the early 70s, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their artwork and advocacy are considered fundamental to the development of contemporary art among Canada’s Indigenous artists.

The group’s members included Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray and Joseph Sánchez.

Through October 29, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies presents The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven, an exhibition curated by Sánchez, the group’s last living member, in collaboration with Whyte curators Dawn Saunders Dahl and Christina Cuthbertson.

Daphne Odjig (Odawa-Potawatomi, 1919-2016), An Ancient Setting, 1988, acrylic on canvas, 28 x 37½ in. Collection of the Kamloops Art Gallery, gift of Stan Somerville. Photo: Cory Hope.

 

“These artists are revolutionary to Canadian art,” Dahl says, “master artists and colorists who created work based on ancient memories that are shared through contemporary storytelling.”

Sánchez adds, “They broke barriers of exclusion, racism and cultural separation, especially when they first formed in the 1960s and ’70s…Indigenous artists were not taken seriously at this time but were only considered craft people.”

The 1962 exhibition of Morrisseau’s (1932-2007) paintings at the Pollock Gallery in Toronto marked the first time an Indigenous artist had shown work in a contemporary art gallery in Canada. If Morrisseau is “the grandfather of Indigenous art in Canada,” as he is often called, Odjig (1919-2016), who opened the first Indigenous-owned art gallery in the country, is the grandmother. Morrisseau ended up being the first Indigenous artist to receive a major retrospective of his work at the National Gallery of Canada in 2006, followed by similar exhibitions for Alex Janvier (1935-2024) and Odjig.

Eddy Cobiness (Ojibwe, 1933-1996), Coyote and Young, 1990, watercolor on paper, 13 x 15 in. Private Collection.

 

“Without these three, contemporary Indigenous art might not be in the national gallery today,” says Sánchez.

Through roughly 75 paintings in a variety of mediums dating from the 1960s to Sánchez’s current work, The Ancestors are Talking follows the trajectory of each artist’s development from early sketches to major works, with an emphasis on the trailblazing nature of their art and activism.

Together the Indigenous Seven created a unique style of painting that would become known as the Woodland School, a movement that carries on today, characterized by its vibrancy, stylized outlines, and the incorporation of First Nation spirituality, stories and symbolism.

Norval Morrisseau (Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation, 1932-2007), Attitude and Attention, Punk Rockers, ca. 1991, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 96 in. The Norval Morrisseau Estate. OfficialMorisseau.com

 

Morisseau’s early 1990s diptych Attitude and Attention, Punk Rockers exemplifies the style, combining tribal designs with contemporary subject matter.

With a defined composition of shapes and lively palette, Odjig’s An Ancient Setting from 1988 showcases the artist’s bold depictions of family, myth and history. “Daphne was a master of color, she used color to evoke emotions and convey strength,” explains Sánchez. “She used color to lead the viewer into multiple dimensions.

Sánchez also points to Cobiness’ (1933-1996) watercolor Coyote and Young from 1990, a watercolor that combines graphic elements with a softer, more naturalistic representation of the grasses in the background. “The sensitivity of the natural world is a highlight of Eddy Cobiness’ work,” says Sánchez. “The mastery of his line quality demonstrates his high level of skills as a master artist.”

Joseph Sánchez (White Mountain Apache/Taos Pueblo), The Ancestors Are Talking, 2024, acrylic and conté on canvas, 92 x 83¾ in. Collection of the artist.

 

Sánchez created the exhibition’s title piece, The Ancestors Are Talking, in 2024. About participating in the curation of the show, he says, “This long overdue exhibition shares work from the beginning of our journey and includes work from the long careers of many of the group. Sharing my unique relationship with the six other member artists is a pleasure and allows me to honor my friends with a new view of our work together.” —

Through October 19, 2025
The Ancestors Are Talking: Paintings by the Indigenous Seven
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
111 Bear Street, Banff, AB T1L 1A3, Canada, (403) 762-2291, www.whyte.org

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