“The Owl Man”
Eddy Cobiness
1977
Buffalo Point First Nation
On loan from the Collection of The University of Winnipeg; Gift of Frank and Sue Hechter
Anishinaabe artist Eddy “Doc” Cobiness was born in 1933 in Warroad, Minnesota, and raised in Buffalo Point First Nation. He was a founding and eminent member of Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. His artwork often depicted animals and the natural world.
Later in his career, Cobiness began signing his works with “47” alongside his signature and the date; this was his treaty number. Using his art to draw attention to decades of mistreatment, this was an act of protest against the Canadian government’s attempt to assimilate Indigenous peoples. Cobiness died in 1996 at the age of 62.