All American Man

A man who lived in two worlds and never gave up his Native heritage, Ely Parker bridged the gap between the United States and the Seneca.

For much of his life, Ely Parker lived within two widely diverse worlds. He was both an Indian and a white man. He was a Grand Sachem of the Iroquois Confederacy and an officer in the Union Army. He recruited Native Americans to fight for the Union in the Civil War, but was never given official recognition as an American citizen. As the first Native American to be appointed Comissioner of Indian Affairs, he rid his department of corrupt agents and worked with all levels of government to secure Indian rights. Amid a soley political effort to undermine his public position, Parker was cleared of baseless charges of malfesance, yet resigned on principal. He never gave up his personal quest to secure the rights of the Seneca while at the same time continuing to participate in American civil institutions. He was more than Indian...more than white. Ely Parker was all American.