Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-02-13
HONORS FOR kEPPLER.
Puck's Editor Elected a Big
Chief by the Five Nations.
MEMBER OF SENECA INDIANS.
He Is Now Gyr~snt-wn-ka, the Corn
Planter. and VIII shed the Name
Red Sky In the Indian New Year.
First Named For the Honor by WO-
men of Senecas.

| Mr.. Joseph hepp!er, one OF the eul-
| tors of Puck, became Chief Gy-ant-wa-
| ka C'the corn planter OF the tribe Of
| Seneca Indians recently. The other
night he got his horns of wampum, and
| in February, the Indian new year, he
| will go to the tepee of his brothers and
| will shed the name of Red Sky. There
after he will never speak the name
again, but until death lie will be Gy-
| ant-wa-ka, the corn planter.
Mr.. Keppler is the first white man to
| be elected an honorary chief by the In
dians of New York state for more than
half century. He has n side with
which the general public and even
some of his intimate friends are not ac-
quainted-that is, his Indian side. He
has been interested in the Indians of
New York state for number of years.
Recently he has done a number of
things for them that have endeared
him to them. and the honor is mani
festation of their regard for him.
Last June Mr.. Keppler went on a Wis
it to the Five Nations and was admit
ted to membership in the Wolf tribe
of the Senecas He was introduced to
the council by Black Sky, a full blood
ed Indian. and the name Red Sky was
given TO him. In the natural order of
things Indian he would have shed this
name at about middle life, when he
would have got another and would
have kept that until old age, when he
would have received n third, which
would have lasted until his death, but
his election TO chief enables him to skip
the middle name and to take the name
that all the nations honor. Mr.. KEEP
pier was first named for the honor by
the women of the Senecas, says the
New York Sun. They have the right
of suffrage, and they decided to recon-
mend him for place as honorary
chief. They chose the horns of Gy-ant-
wa-ka, or the corn planter. Gy-ant-
wa-ka was n famous chief of the Sene-
cas-. He died in 1916. and his horns
have been hanging since. He was one
OF the diplomats of his generation and
was known as the peacemakcr, mas
much as his power in the council de-
cided treaties that were disputed by
the chiefs and sachems. When the Sen
eca women named Mr.. Keppler for
Cnlel, HIS HdlHe WAS lluOTSeu Dl lIle
Iroquois and was sent by them to the
OnondagaS, who are the official fire
keepers of the Five Nations. The On
onda gas held a council by lighting the
fire, and they ratified Mr.. Keppler's
nomination and accorded to him full
honors of an honorary chief of the
tribe.
After Mr.. Keppler's election there
remained the ceremony of taking down
the horns of Gy-ant-waka, and they
We're sent TO Ya-ie-wa noh. otherwise
Mrs. Hannah Maxwell Converse, of
New York city. To Ya-ie-wa-noh was
intrusted the duty of transferring the
horns to the new Gy-ant-wa-ka. With
the horns was sent document in Eng
lish setting forth the new chiefs du-
ties and pledging him that as long as
he lived he would honor and keep the
horns and when he died they would be
returned to the tribe to be again hung
up.
Mr.. Keppler's, or Gy-ant-wa- ka's,
horns are made of wampum beads.
They are about n foot long and when
laid out are the shape of u deer's ant
lers. He will keep them that way until
his death. when they will be laid upon
his coffin reversed. The beads are
brown and white alternating. two
white beads with two brown beads.
After their arrival Ya-ic-wa-nOh noti-
fed him of his election to the office of
chief. He called the other night at
ewa-noh's house, and Mr.. Con
verse, her husband, announced that
Red Sky had arrived. AS he stepped
into the rooms Ya-ie-wa-noh said.
"GOOdby, Red Sky, Nyah-yas -ka -noh,"
which in Indian means "Glad to see
you and You're welcome. Chief Gy-
ant-wa-ka." The chief bowed low and
had a plea SAINT talk with Ya-ie-wa -noh.
who placed the horns in his possession
and read to him the decree of the
chiefs appointing him and setting forth
his duties. The mention of the name
of Red Sky by Ya-ie- wa-noh was, ac-
cording to the Indian rules, the last
time that that name should he men
toned. When Chief Gy-ant-wa -ka goes
to the Five Nations to attend the con-
dolence council on the new year. he
will visit the tepee of his former broth
ers and will say, Il give back the name
you gave TO me-" and will thank them
for its use. After that NO good Indian
will ever mention the name of Red |
Sky. 1t will be dead. BY his promo
ton TO chief Mr.. Keppler becomes the |
great-grandfather of Black Sky, his |
brother. who introduced him into the |
Wolf tribe.
Mrs. Converse is the only woman |
ever elected a chief of the Indian |
tribe. While the Indians of New York |
state have not elected any white chiefs |
for nearly half a century the Iroquois |
of the Grand river, Canada, who were |
formerly a part of the Iroquois of New |
York. have elected several, among |
them the Prince of Wales. who was |
elected a chief in 1860 and who took |