In the shadows of the monument to renowned Seneca chief Red Jacket is the much smaller grave marker for his great grand-nephew, Ely S. Parker. Known by his Seneca name, Do-Ne-Ho-Geh-Weh meaning “Keeper of the Western Door,” Parker had a front-row seat to some of the greatest moments in United States history. He also reached the highest echelons of government despite lacking U.S. citizenship. Born in 1828 on the Tonawanda Reservation near Indian Falls, New York, Parker was a scholar from an early age. After traveling to Canada and not…
