Armand Garnet Ruffo Knihy

The Thunderbird Poems takes its inspiration from the art and life of the acclaimed Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau. Like Morrisseau's visual art itself, the poems vividly bring us to the centre of the artist's worldview. Employing both lyrical and narrative strategies, the poetry incorporates extensive research into Morrisseau's life, including interviews with Morrisseau himself and the people closest to him. They further draw upon the diverse sources of Morrisseau's art, including Ojibway epistemology and iconography, exemplified in the ancient "birchbark scrolls" and the pictographs of the Anishinaabe, and the influences of New Age religion, modern art, and popular culture. The Thunderbird Poems crafts language into a provocative suite of unwavering poetry that transports the reader from the heights of a thunderbird to the depths of a dank alley to provide illuminating insight into the painter's iconic visual vocabulary.

The narrative explores the life of Francis Pegahmagabow, a renowned Indigenous sniper in WWI, while delving into the challenges of representing Indigenous experiences authentically. Armand Garnet Ruffo skillfully intertwines historical events with cultural insights, highlighting the significance of storytelling in Indigenous communities and the nuances involved in conveying their narratives.