Norval Morrisseau, also known as Copper Thunderbird, is widely regarded as the grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada. In the 1960s, he broke through intense discrimination and defied societal, sexual, and cultural stereotypes, forging a powerful visual language that gave rise to an entirely new artistic movement. He founded the Woodland School of Art, blending traditional Anishinaabe stories with bold modernist forms, and was a founding member of the Indian Group of Seven, a collective that reshaped the national art narrative.

In recognition of his groundbreaking work, Morrisseau was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 1978 and inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. In 2008, he was posthumously honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. Today, his original works are held in the permanent collections of leading institutions including the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Royal Ontario Museum, among many others across North America.