The Grave of Chief Keokuk
Amidst rumors that the United States Army was coming to destroy the Native American Village of Peoria, along the Illinois River, Native Americans found themselves stricken with fear. Searching for answers, a young Sauk Native American was named war chief and offered hope and direction. The young leader later became known as Chief Keokuk.
Keokuk was a talented diplomat and was used to negotiate treaties and balance the interests of authorities and the Sauk and Fox (Meskwaki) tribes. During his residence in Iowa, Keokuk made multiple trips to Washington, D.C. where he worked to negotiate tribal lands and keep peace among Indian tribes and white settlers.
In 1834, the city of Keokuk, Iowa was named for the chief. While there is no evidence that Chief Keokuk was connected to the town, about this time he began to be considered a notable American Indian by white Americans due to his diplomacy skills and accomplishments.
Chief Keokuk’s leadership was not without controversy. There was discord among the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes as his status and accommodations with the federal government increased. Federal agents allowed Keokuk to distribute tribal annuities and evidence suggests that Keokuk used his position for personal advantage. In 1842, Keokuk negotiated the sale of the last tribal land in Iowa and agreed to remove to Kansas. While the Meskwaki denounced the sale, Keokuk led other followers to Kansas in 1845 where he died in 1848 and was buried…the first time.
In the 1880s two prominent Keokuk citizens, Judges Caleb Davis, a Native American object collector who took a great interest in the chief’s life, set out on a mission to have the remains reentered in Keokuk, Iowa. After securing the necessary permits and permissions the bones were removed from the Kansas resting place and it was discovered that the skull and one arm had gone missing. Judge Davis brought the bones back to Keokuk and was determined to retrieve the lost remains of the chief.
The story is told that Judge Davis returned to Ottawa, Kansas, in search of the skull, locating it at a “white man’s lodge” where it was reportedly used for ceremonial purposes. After much persuasion, Davis secured the skull from the lodge. At the time it wasn’t unusual for people to keep such curiosities and Davis brought the skull back to Iowa where it remained in his collection for many years.
In 1913, a monument was erected and the remains of Chief Keokuk were finally laid to rest once again at Rand Park in Keokuk. Built into the monument is the original marble grave marker brought back from Kansas. In 1925, Judge Davis’ daughter, Anne, donated the rest of the Judge Caleb Davis Collection to the State Historical Museum.
Chief Keokuk’s story picks up a century and a half after his death in Des Moines. It was 1987 and the State Historical Museum collection was being moved to the new historical building. Found in storage were some long forgotten artifacts from the judge’s collection. Included were human teeth with tags attached indicating that two were removed from Chief Keokuk’s skull in 1886 by C.F. Davis and two were removed by Anne Davis before the skull was reburied in 1913. The teeth were transferred to the Office of the State Archaeologist and in 1995 an osteological report was completed that determined that it was unlikely the teeth came from Chief Keokuk because the dental examination showed the teeth were that of a much younger person.
Which begs the question…who else is buried in Chief Keokuk’s grave?
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