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Restoring Justice: Parker, Heritage, and Indigenous Voices

Published November 12, 2025 at 2:39 PM EST
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In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we reflect on the life of Ely S. Parker, Tonawanda Seneca leader, engineer, and Civil War officer who helped draft the surrender at Appomattox. Denied admission to the New York State Bar in the 1840s simply for being Native American, Parker’s legacy of justice and representation is finally being recognized. Historian Melissa Parker Leonard and attorney Lee Redeye join us to explore what this recognition means for Indigenous communities today.

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