Ely Parker Commissioner Of Indian Affairs

Assimilation 1890 1930 one of the most controversial policies of the bureau of indian affairs was the late 19th to early 20th century decision to educate native children in separate boarding schools such as the carlisle indian.

Ely parker commissioner of indian affairs. The senecas were one of the tribes of the great iroquois confederation called the six nations. Parker was appointed commissioner of indian affairs based on his previous experience and on the assumption that no one was better qualified to helm the bureau of indian affairs bia. By the time of parker s birth this once powerful confederation had been reduced to a scattering of reservations struggling for identity and survival. His letter to harriet converse refers to this episode.

He was named ha sa no an da and later baptized ely samuel parker. Ely parker becomes commissioner of indian affairs in the years after the assassination of president lincoln ely parker received a commission as ambassador to assist the office of indian affairs in restoring peaceful relations with the tribes that had sided with the confederacy during the civil war. Parker was a seneca indian born in 1828 on the tonawanda indian reservation in western new york. After the war parker served as commissioner of indian affairs 1869 1871.

He was accused of misusing funds resigned but was later cleared. In 1869 ely samuel parker was the first native american to be appointed as commissioner of indian affairs. Parker 1828 1895 was the first native american commissioner of indian affairs. After a successful three years with the law firm he applied for admission to the bar.

Parker was born in 1828 as the sixth of seven children to william and elizabeth parker of prominent seneca families at indian falls new york then part of the tonawanda reservation. During the civil war parker a close friend and colleague of general ulysses s. He was the first native american to hold the office. Parker became the chief architect of president grant s peace policy in relation to the native americans in the west.

Shortly after grant took office as president in march 1869 he appointed parker as commissioner of indian affairs. In a forgotten chapter of history the president and his seneca commissioner of indian affairs ely parker fought for native american rights on an 1870 cover of harper s weekly president ulysses. He later served as commissioner of indian affairs the first native american to hold the post. Parker served in this office from 1869 to 1871.

Grant served the union cause and penned the final copy of the confederate army s surrender terms at the appomattox courthouse in 1865. Parker a seneca attorney engineer and tribal diplomat wrote the final draft of the confederate surrender terms.