A descendant of the great plains Cree Chief Poundmaker, Allen Sapp was born in 1929 on the Red Pheasant Reserve in Saskatchewan. Often bed-ridden as a child because of frail health, he learned to draw and to paint as a way of giving expression to his world. In 1966, Allen Sapp met Dr. Allan Gonor who became an influential role in Allen Sapp's artistic career and was the driving force behind the creation of the Allen Sapp Gallery. The Gonor Collection opened in 1989 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, making Allen Sapp the only living Canadian artist, at that time, to have a museum dedicated to his work. Allen Sapp was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy in 1973. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1987 by Governor General Jeanne Sauve, in recognition of his achievements in the visual arts. He has had numerous exhibitions throughout Canada and abroad, including New York, Los Angeles and London.Allen Sapp is represented in many private, public and corporate collections. Several books and catalogues have been published about his life and work, including, "Two Spirits Soar - The Art of Allen Sapp" 1990, by W.P. Kinsella; " Kiskayetum, Allen Sapp - A Retrospective", 1996, prepared by the MacKenzie Art Gallery; and "I Heard the Drums", 1996, which features his thoughts and perspectives and a large selection of his paintings.