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Daphne Odjig was born in 1919 of Ojibwa and Canadian/English
parents, on the Wikewemikong Reserve on Manitoulin Island. Her mother
was an English warbride, her father could trace his ancestors through
the Odawa/Potawatomi tribes.
Daphne had always shown an interest in art - encouraged first by her
grandfather who was a stone carver - but for years her images were much
influenced by an eclectic group of modern European painters.
Odjig joined mainstream culture
She'd moved to Toronto in 1942 and because she was unable to cope
with the descrimination, ostensibly left her Indian roots and joined
the mainstream world. In Toronto she met and married Paul Somerville,
moved to Coquitlam and raised two boys. Paul was killed in a car crash
in 1960.
In the 1960's, with the rise of the American Indian Movement and
Norval Morrisseau's Toronto triumph, Indian pride was creeping into the
Canadian culture like a breath of fresh air.
Morrisseau influenced her return to her roots
It became easier to be an Indian and Daphne began focussing her
imagery on the Ojibwa culture she'd left behind. She remarried and had
a successful show of 78 pieces in Port Arthur in 1967. By 1971 when she
and her husband moved to Winnipeg they were able to open a shop that
specialized in native art and crafts. They also published several books
of Ojibwa stories and legends directed at young readers.
As her work evolved, her images became brightly coloured and highly
stylized. Executed with soft flowing contours, the shapes are often
outlined in black.
Daphne Odjig was the only female member of the Indian Group of Seven
that initially made up the new Eastern Woodlands School of Canadian
art. She stood out from the men in the group, in that her images were
most often emphasizing womanhood and family as opposed to native
spirituality.
Awards include being the first woman to be presented with an Eagle
Feather on behalf of the Wikwemikong Reserve in recognition of her
accomplishments.
Other awards include the 1986 appointment to The Order of Canada and a 1998 Aboriginal Achievement Award.
Selected Collections
Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba
Canadian Guild of Crafts Quebec, Montreal, Quebec
Canadian Indian Marketing Services, Ottawa, Ontario
Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hull, Quebec
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Department of Indian Affairs, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta
Glenview Corporation, Ottawa, Ontario
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario
Laurentian University Museum and Art Centre, Sudbury, Ontario
Manitoba Centennial Centre Corp., Winnipeg, Manitoba
Manitoba Indian Brotherhood, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba
McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinburg, Ontario
Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, West Bay, Ontario
Peguis High School, Hodgson, Manitoba
Pontiac School, Wikwemikong, Ontario
Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontari
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Artists Bios 
