James Mishibinijima
La Cloche Mountains (Mishmountain)
15 x 48 inches (diptych)
This rare diptych, Mishmountain, by James Mishibinijima, captures the radiant quartzite peaks of the La Cloche Mountains in Northern Ontario, Canada—among the oldest ranges on Earth, formed some 1.88 billion years ago. Rising along the northern shore of Lake Huron, their brilliant white ridges have long stirred the imaginations of artists, storytellers, and visionaries, their presence visible from Manitoulin Island and beyond.
According to legend, these hills once served as natural warning bells for local First Nations. When struck, the “Bell Rocks” rang out across great distances, sending signals through the land. Early voyageurs, moved by this phenomenon, named the range with the French word for bell: La Cloche.
The painting is also deeply shaped by the La Cloche Mountains overlooking Dreamer’s Rock, a sacred quartzite outcrop within Whitefish River First Nation near Manitoulin Island. For countless generations, Ojibwe youth ascended to its smooth, natural hollow to fast, dream, and receive visions marking their passage into adulthood. Revered as a place of awakening and spiritual clarity, Dreamer’s Rock is remembered as the place where seekers connect with guardian spirits and discover their life’s calling. One legendary healer, Chief Shaw-wan-ossy-way, is said to have received his gifts there.
Today, Dreamer’s Rock remains a living ceremonial site where vision quests, sweat lodge gatherings, and purification rituals continue. From its summit, sweeping views stretch across Lake Huron’s North Channel and the La Cloche range—an awe-inspiring meeting of natural grandeur and cultural tradition.
On the reverse of the painting, Mishibinijima inscribes a haunting reflection:
“Here lie a path of wisdom, Elders say. The key to the future may be its Dreamers’ Rock, or is it?”
Both a powerful tribute to ancient landscapes and a meditation on Indigenous knowledge, La Cloche Mountains (Mishmountain) affirms the timeless bond between land, spirit, and memory—an artistic vision as enduring as the quartzite peaks themselves.
Price: Upon request