Leroy Wesaw (Potawatomi) was born in the Indian settlement in Lower Michigan in 1925. He first became interested in photography in 1939, initially using an old Brownie camera. A graduate of the Native American Education Services (NAES) College in Chicago, Wesaw worked for the federal government in the Assisted Housing Branch. He was active in several areas of Indian affairs and was a founder of the Chicago Canoe Club. Wesaw died in 1994.