** ‘Indian’ is an outdated and offensive term for Indigenous people. In the past, some Indigenous people referred to themselves as ‘Indian,’ but this has changed significantly. Where possible, ‘Indian’ will be substituted with ‘Indigenous.’ **
Indigenous people have populated these lands since time immemorial–Indigenous people aren’t “from” Canada. Each group has a long and fascinating history. (Canada sits on traditional territories, treaties and unceded Indigenous land.) Part of their rich history is art; one of the earliest dated pieces of Indigenous art is around 5000 years old.
The Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. (PNIAI) was created out of a need for Indigenous representation in art. It challenged the idea that Indigenous art was meant for museums, as if it had no connection to modern-day (1960s and 70s) art. Together, the artists of PNIAI used their different styles, talents and voices to show that their art deserved as much attention as other groups. It was popularly referred to as the Indigenous (Indian) Group of Seven (referencing the Group of Seven).
PNIAI began in 1973 with artists Daphne Odjig, Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Joseph Sanchez, Alex Janvier, Carl Ray and Norval Morrisseau. They decided to be a group that stood for “self-determination and professional advancement.” Although they separated in 1975, they helped to start an acceptance of and appreciation for Indigenous art. As of July 2025, Joseph Sánchez is the only living member from the group.
As an appreciation for the great work the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. did, here are some highlights of their lives.
Daphne Odjig
Photo by Misterlobat on commons.wikimedia.org
Daphne Odjig (Sept. 11, 1919 – Oct. 1, 2016) was a Potawatomi-Odawa-English artist. In 1964, she “experienced a life and career-altering awakening.” After changing her last name to Fisher to get work, she was dancing at a powwow in Wiikwemkoong and “suddenly understood herself as an Indigenous woman.” Her newfound purpose was to display the Indigenous stories she knew through her art.
In 1971, while living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she opened Odjig Indian Prints of Canada Ltd. She sold her own art along with art from smaller, aspiring artists. For her efforts, she has received honorary degrees, the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia, among many other awards.
Odjig’s art explored everyday life, Indigenous spirituality and traditions among many other things. It went through cycles; at first, her work had influence from impressionists and Pablo Picasso. This changed to a graphic style when she focused more on Indigenous art.
You can see her artworks for yourself on the Odjig website and Gallery Gevik’s exhibition and page on limited prints.
Jackson Beardy
Jackson Beardy (July 24, 1944 – Dec. 8, 1984) was an Oji-Cree artist. Like many Indigenous people, Beardy was sent to a residential school in his youth. Although it left a lasting impression on him, he was able to learn to paint and draw while there. He graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1966.
Beardy went on to become an advisor, consultant and professor. In 1984, he began painting a mural for the Indigenous Family Centre (Family Indian Centre) but passed away before he could finish. Artists from R.B. Russell Vocational High School came in to finish it. The piece, “Peace and Harmony,” expresses how connected the spiritual and physical world were for Beardy.
Beardy’s art explored the oral traditions he was taught. As he realized himself, his art moved from just portraying Indigenous legends to adding a layer of integrity and dignity. His art “… had a distinctive graphic style characterised by flat areas of warm colours and curving ribbons of paint.”
See some of his art at Gervik Gallery’s site and his “Calling the Night” on The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Eddy Cobiness
Eddy “Doc” Cobiness (July 17, 1933 – Jan. 1, 1996) was an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) self-taught artist. He was born in Minnesota, U.S. then moved to Buffalo Point First Nation in Manitoba. While in Minnesota, he was in the U.S. Army, when he found an interest in watercolouring.
As an activist, Cobiness would sign his art with his treaty number, 47, as a form of protest against the Canadian government. By doing this, he showed that he wouldn’t be forced into trying to fit in with Canadian society. He worked to be a good example for young Indigenous artists to show them that they could also be successful.
Cobiness wanted to challenge non-Indigenous people’s belief of Indigenous people. He believed that they “read books written by white men and often there are errors in them.”
His early art was inspired by his community. He also took inspiration from artists like Benjamin Chee Chee and Picasso. His later work was more abstract.
See some of his art in this short video.
Joseph Sánchez
Photo by Uyvsdi on commons.wikimedia.org, edited by Thean Sargeant
Joseph Sánchez (Feb. 24, 1948) is a Pueblo-Spanish-German surrealist artist. He was born in Trinidad, Colorado and raised on the White Mountain Apache Reservation (Arizona). He was encouraged by his fifth-grade teacher to practice art. After high school, he was going to join the priesthood but decided against it. He was in the U.S. Marine Corps and trained soldiers to fight in the Vietnam War. He left and became Absent Without Leave (AWOL).
While in the Marine Corps, Sánchez began working on his art style. His later work was inspired by “[the] Renaissance, Surrealism, Dada, and Contemporary Art of the 1960s.” Find some of his art on his website and at Gallery Gevik’s site.
He has gathered many titles over the years: community and political activist, museum director and curator and essayist. He has since moved back to the U.S. and continues to paint while also helping and being an influence to younger artists.
Alex Janvier
Photo by D. Gordon E. Robertson on commons.wikimedia.org
Alex Janvier (Feb. 28, 1935 – July 10, 2024) was a Denesuline and Saulteaux artist. He was also put in a residential school and had access to art materials. He graduated from the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary (now the Alberta College of Art and Design) in 1960. He taught at the University of Alberta but left to be an artist.
Janvier was a “muralist, painter, activist, community leader and educator.” In 1967, he organized for some other Indigenous artists, like Morrisseau, to go to the Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo 67. Like Cobiness, he began to sign his paintings with his treaty number as a form of protest. He had also received many awards and honorary degrees.
Janvier’s art primarily had “calligraphic lines and bright colours.” It was a mix of his Indigenous knowledge and his Western education. He was dubbed the first Indigenous (Native) modernist.
Be sure to check out his amazing mural for the Canadian Museum of History. The Canadian Encyclopedia lists what each colour represents.
Carl Ray
Carl Ray (Jan. 10, 1943 -Sept. 26, 1978) was a Cree artist. As a child, he was also sent to a residential school and found a love for art there. He was a self-taught artist. By his 20s, he had an interest in visually preserving Indigenous legends.
Ray was an artist, illustrator, editor and art teacher. He worked with his mentor, Norval Morrisseau, to create a mural for Expo 67, but it was demolished later. He also had solo exhibitions. He would go on to teach at Manitou Arts Foundation on Schreiber Island.
Ray was encouraged to “reject the traditional taboo against painting Indigenous legends” by Morrisseau. He adapted Morrisseau’s style of x-ray painting where he would depict the inner organs and the life force of his art subjects.
You can view Waddington’s site and his “Thunderbird” on The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Norval Morrisseau
Norval Morrisseau (March 14, 1932 – Dec. 4, 2007) was an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) known as “Copper Thunderbird” (Miskwaabik Animiiki in Anishinaabemowin). He was also sent to a residential school as a child. His maternal grandparents raised him. His grandfather taught him about Ojibwe history while his grandmother taught him Catholicism.
Morrisseau was considered “by many to be the Mishomis, or grandfather, of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada.” Morrisseau is popular for creating the Woodland School of Art; it was a style of painting, not an actual school. It mixes people, animals and plants with “spiritual imagery and symbolism.” Some of the members of PNIAI, Odjig, Beardy, Cobiness and Ray, also used this paint style.
Morrisseau’s art style has influenced younger artists. He has received awards and appointments for his work.
View his work on these different sites: Waddington’s, The Canadian Encyclopedia has his painting “Windigo”, and the Art Canada Institute biography of him along with his video biography.
The Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. saw a problem of Indigenous art being excluded from art spaces and created change. Younger generations can now see Indigenous art in galleries (National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario and more) and not just in museums.