EDMONIA LEWIS  

    First Internationally Acclaimed African American Sculptor

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Wild Fire: The Spirit of Edmonia Lewis

Curious friends and fans naturally asked Edmonia about her Native American name. The record shows that she told them that it meant ‘Wild Fire.’

 There is no Chippewa word for 'wild.' Calling herself "Wild Fire" echoed her mother’s people speaking the Ojibwe language and pidgin in public and telling tourists that yes, they were indeed "wild Indians." Parroting the customers’ phrase, they entertained, mesmerizing them with romantic images, and seducing them to buy. Away from the tourist market, they spoke English.

By the time she reached New England’s major city, she was educated, literate, and skilled in the arts. She was thoroughly aware of the nuances of the phrase and old enough to have given it considerable thought. A metaphor for passion, fearlessness, independence, and determination, "Wild Fire" named her inner child and gave warning. She would not be docile: a maid, a cook, a wife, or a teacher. She would go her own way, burning brightly at a distance. She would be noticed and admired, but not controlled.