Artist. He was one of Canada's most celebrated painters and acknowledged as the founder of the pictographic style known as the Woodland or Anishnaabe School. Often called "the Picasso of the North", in the 1960s he was considered the first indigenous artist to achieve prominence in the mainstream art world. Born Norman Henry Morrisseau at Sand Point Reserve near Beardmore, Ontario, he was a self-taught artist, combining themes from his Ojibwa heritage and European influences in vibrant paintings. He signed his canvases with the symbols for "Miskwaabik Animiki" or Copper Thunderbird. Despite turmoil in his personal life including periods of family estrangement, alcohol abuse and poverty, he was immensely prolific and is thought to have created over 10,000 works. His paintings are held in museums and private collections worldwide. He was a mentor to generations of aboriginal artists and shared his vast knowledge of Anishnaabe history and spirituality. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 65, he continued painting until 2002 but was wheelchair-bound in his last years. Among many honors, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada (1978), member of The Royal Society of Canada, Holder of the Eagle Feather (the highest honor awarded by the Assembly of First Nations), Grand Shaman of the Objiwa and received honorary doctorates from several universities. In 1989 he was the only Canadian painter invited to exhibit at the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris for the French Revolution bicentennial. He was the first native artist to have a solo exhibition in the history of the National Gallery of Canada. Regrettably a public battle between family members developed over his legacy, with the Morrisseau Family Foundation and Norval Morrisseau Heritage Society each claiming the right to authenticate his artwork. He died in Toronto at age 75 from complications of Parkinson's disease.