This Week in the West: Eight Bears - Edwin Willard Deming's Native Art & Connection

🤠This Week in the West 🎙️ Episode 43: This Week in the West, Episode 43: Eight Bears - Edwin Willard Deming's Native Art & Connection

📢 Episode Summary: This week’s episode of This Week in The West honors the life and legacy of artist Edwin Willard Deming on the 165th anniversary of his birth. Known to the Blackfoot as Eight Bears, Deming earned this name through years of respect, friendship, and authentic portrayals of Native life. His deep immersion in tribal communities set him apart from other artists of his era, who often leaned on stereotypes.

Deming’s artistic journey took him from Illinois to the Art Students League in New York, to Paris’s Académie Julian, and back to the American West, where he sketched and painted Native cultures with accuracy and care. He lived with tribes such as the Crow, Sioux, and Blackfoot, recording their traditions while also building trust through shared experiences. His approach brought dignity to his subjects and preserved cultural details that were disappearing during rapid westward expansion.

Beyond painting, Deming became known for large-scale murals and sculptures, including a major series for the American Museum of Natural History’s Plains Indian Hall. His art was displayed in major institutions across the country, and one work even appeared on a U.S. postage stamp. From cycloramas to camouflage training in World War I, Deming’s career spanned many disciplines, but his lasting contribution remains his empathetic, respectful depictions of Native American life.

🔍 What You’ll Learn:

• How Edwin Willard Deming earned the name Eight Bears from the Blackfoot people and why it symbolized profound respect.
• How Deming’s immersive approach to Native communities influenced his realistic, respectful portrayals of tribal life.
• How his murals, sculptures, and museum works helped preserve and share Native American history with broader audiences.

👥 Behind the Scenes Host: Seth Spillman Producer: Chase Spivey Writer: Mike Koehler

🔗 Further research:

• New York City Library’s Collection of Deming’s papers: https://archives.nypl.org/mss/766
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, example of Deming’s work: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10740
• Blog from Sid Richardson Museum: https://sidrichardsonmuseum.org/happy-birthday-edwin/

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