Edmonia Lewis was an African American sculptor of mixed African-American and Native American heritage and was born free in Upstate New York.
Mary Edmonia Lewis, "Wildfire" (c. July 4, 1844  September 17, 1907), was an African American sculptor, of mixed African-American and Native American (Ojibwe) heritage. Born free in Upstate New York, she worked for most of her career in Rome, Italy. 
Sculpture Her mother, Catherine Mike Lewis, was mixed-race; of Mississauga Ojibwe and African-American descent. She was born free in the former town of Greenbush, Rensselaer County, New York. 
