One Real American

Children’s book icon Joseph Bruchac tells the fascinating story of a Seneca (Iroquois) Civil War officer in One Real American: The Life of Ely S. Parker, Seneca Sachem and Civil War General.

Ely S. Parker (1828–1895) is one of the most unique but little-known figures in US history. A member of the Seneca (Iroquois) Nation, Parker was an attorney, engineer, and tribal diplomat. Raised on a reservation but schooled at a Catholic institution, he learned English at a young age and became an interpreter for his people. During the American Civil War, he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel and was the primary draftsman of the terms of the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. He eventually became President Grant’s Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the first Native American to hold that post.

Award-winning children’s book author and Native American scholar Joseph Bruchac provides an expertly researched, intimate look at a man who achieved great success in two worlds yet was caught between them. Includes archival photos, maps, endnotes, bibliography, and timeline.

“Acclaimed Abenaki author Joseph Bruchac relies on Ely Parker’s own writings, a biography by Parker’s grand-nephew, and the historical knowledge of Native elders to create this complex account of power and people that should be essential reading in middle- and high-school classrooms.” —Booklist (Starred Review)

Includes black-and-white images