Without question, we live in the most politically correct time in history. Many walk on eggshells worrying they may errantly say something offensive to someone they don’t even know. The result is super sensitivity to most anything social. A natural consequence of this is some of us becoming understandably frustrated by people imposing their personal ultimatums on others.
In my more than 40 years as a columnist I’ve experienced my share of what I’ll call “sensitivity mandates” in the newspaper industry. In my case, I write about collectibles, some of which are connected to Western subjects, depictions or artifacts. Especially prominent and intriguing are items involving the American Indian....
My column is syndicated so it appears nationwide. That means a diverse readership. Over the years, editors of some of those papers have contended the expression “American Indian” was offensive. They instructed me to change it to “Native American.” I did. After that, it wasn’t long before I received mail from actual “indigenous” readers. They said they, in fact, preferred “American Indian.” As Ricky Nelson sang, “You can’t please everyone so you got to please yourself.”
I understand some sensitivity. After all, the 1950s and ‘60s were filled with movies about the Ol’ West. Many of those films featured marauding tribes of savage Indians vanquished by troops of cavalry. Those regiments of white soldiers always saved the day.
Most troops stationed in the West had fought in the most divisive war the US endured. After the Civil War, the soldiers were assigned to countless forts west of the Mississippi to protect settlers seeking land for farms, homesteads and a new life on the frontier.
Prior to the war, Ulysses S. Grant toiled as a lowly clerk working in his brother’s store in Galena, Illinois. While there, Grant befriended a man named Ely Parker. Parker didn’t look like others in Galena. His skin was darker and his features were different – more pronounced. He was also an accomplished legal mind and engineer. Grant was impressed and enjoyed his company.
When the Civil War broke out, both Grant and Parker were conscripted into service for the north. As Grant rose through the ranks, he reconnected with his friend from Galena. Ely Parker was soon put on Grant’s staff where he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Parker’s position might have surprised other staff officers because, again, he looked noticeably different. So too for his original name. It was, “HA-SA-NO-AN-DA.” You see, Parker was a full-blooded American Indian from the Tonawanda Seneca tribe. His presence in a US Cavalry uniform was probably, to some, confusing.
Parker overcame any vestige of prejudice. Known for his outstanding penmanship, in 1865, he was tapped to scribe the formal terms of surrender between Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Parker was in attendance at Appomattox for the surrender. He even greeted Lee at the ceremony.
This month, Ely Parker is being featured and honored on the newest commemorative coin in the “Native American Golden Dollar Series” from the US Mint. Yes, for now, the Mint is still using that idiom. Formerly known as the Sacagawea Dollar, the image on the obverse shows Sacagawea carrying her infant son “Jean-Baptiste” on her back.
For the 2022 coin, on the reverse, Ely S. Parker is seen in his Civil War Army uniform. Near him is a quill pen, book and his signature, all symbolic of his education, penmanship and an expert communicator. Beside his image are inscriptions of his tribe “TONAWANDA SENECA,” his Indian name “HA-SA-NO-AN-DA,” “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “$1.”
Underscoring how unifying Parker was 157 years ago, at the Appomattox surrender, when Confederate General Lee saw he was an American Indian, Lee shook his hand and remarked, “I am glad to see one real American here.” In one of the earliest examples of inclusiveness and true political correctness, Ely Parker responded to Lee, “We are all Americans.”
Available in coin sets; 25-coin rolls; 100-coin bags; and 250-coin boxes directly from the US Mint, the coins are currently only on sale online. None will be available from banks or retailers.
For more information, log onto www.USMint.gov. Once there, click on the “Native American $1 Coins” tab. Political correctness aside, for US cents minted between 1859 and 1909, it’s clear the term “Indian Head penny” is still acceptable.
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