Born in Ashland, Ohio, Edwin Deming was an early illustrator and painter of the American West where he traveled among several Indian tribes. He had grown up with Sac, Fox, and Winnebago playmates in western Illinois and later lived among Indians for thirty-one years.

He was committed to depicting the unspoiled Indian, a mission he perceived as trying to make amends for corrupting their culture. It was said that "No painter knew more about the American Indian--his life, culture, and religion" (Harmsen Western Art).

When he was a teenager, he traveled West by train and stagecoach to sketch the Indian territory, but his parents, intent on "practical" pursuits, sent him to Chicago to study business law. However,...