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The Indian Group of Seven
In 1973 seven native artists gave birth to the Indian Group of Seven, or as they called themselves, the Professional National Indian Artists Inc.
That year Jackson Beardy, Alex Janvier, and Daphne Odjig had been involved in an exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery called Treaty Numbers 23, 287, 1171 a reference to the numbers given to their respective bands when treaties had been signed with the Canadian government.
The show had been a success and as a follow up, the idea came to formalize a group of native artists that would spread the word about Canadian Woodland Art and assist up and coming younger native artists.
According to Daphne, the group was never meant to be a take on the non-Indian Group of Seven - it simply came about because it's membership consisted of seven people - Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray, and Joe Sanchez.
It was Gary Scherbain, present owner of the Wahsa Gallery in Winnipeg and at the time a reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press who coined the phrase...Indian Group of Seven. He says that Jackson and Daphne were the main organizers of the PNIA. Joe Sanchez, a native American, who was in Canada to escape the draft, was included because Daphne and her husband Chester Beavon had taken him under their wing. Eddy Cobiness was an avid member and it was he who introduced John Denighy (organizer of the Winnipeg Art Gallery show) to the others.
After the success in Winnipeg, John Denighy and someone from Indian Affairs helped organize three more shows. Daphne recalls the first was at the Wallach Gallery in Ottawa and was followed by a show in Vancouver. The last show featuring the group as a whole was at the Dominion Gallery in Montreal in 1975.
The Group of Seven Influenced a New Generation of Artists
I haven't been able to find information that confirms that the group, under the banner of the PNIA, organized any activities that directly benefited young native artists. But, at least as individuals, some of the group members did so. Daphne and Carl Ray for example, taught at the Manitou Arts Foundation on Shrieber Island during the 1970's and some of those students became the second generation of Woodland artists and are continuing to impact the Canadian native art world.
Although it had a short life and never expanded to include other native artists like Arthur Schilling or even the Kakegamic brothers in Red Lake, that the Indian Group of Seven existed at all was critical first step in the development of the concept of Indian art as a part of the Canadian art cultural scene.
Even throughout the 1980's curators and artists were still arguing about whether contemporary native art was a function of the prehistoric/early historic works in museums or whether it had a place in mainstream galleries. For example, in 1989 when the Vancouver Art Gallery produced an exhibition entitled "Beyond History" it specifically named the art of the Canadian Woodland School as 'tribal'.
The Professional National Indian Artists Inc. eventually ceased to exist as an organization as the individual members concentrated on developing their own careers. But they had cleared the way for another generation of Anishnabe artists.
- The Indian Group of Seven Influenced a Generation of Ojibwa Artists
The influence that the Indian Group of Seven made on the development of native art in Canada showed up first on Manitoulin Island, home to Daphne Odjig.
- Norval Morrisseau Launched Contemporary Woodland Art
Although the training, lifestyles and creative motivation of contemporary native artists differ profoundly from their ancient counterparts, today's Woodland Art is sourced by traditional artistic representations used by prehistoric Eastern Woodland Indians.
- The Woodlands School of Art Bridges Two Cultures
To understand the influence of the contemporary Woodlands School it's worthwhile taking a look at how art revitalized Eastern Woodlands Indian culture in prehistoric times
