“Indian Jesus Christ was made famous in the 1974 National Film Board documentary The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau, in which the artist states, ‘Jesus died for the white man, not for Indians.’ As the painting is shown onscreen, the lyrics of a song written by Duke Redbird and sung by Ojibway singer-songwriter Shingoose suggest, ‘You painted their Jesus, to expose their hypocrisy.’ Given Norval Morrisseau’s experience of sexual abuse at a Catholic residential school as a boy, such pointed comments are not surprising. However, this canvas and its representation in the film created controversy. Seemingly struggling to counter Morrisseau’s comments, the narrator of the documentary describes the artist as someone seeking refuge in Christianity.” — Carmen Robertson, excerpted from Norval Morrisseau: Life & Work
“That strategy I guess, of kind of a double identity, double inhabitation. And the problem of acculturation, of the oppressor over the oppressed… It’s Indian Jesus Christ, but it also looks like an alien figure, and yet it’s one you worship at the same time. I think it’s a very troubling work in the most richest sense.” — Ken Lum