Thomas Varker Keam
Thomas Varker Keam is buried at the far end of Kenwyn Churchyard on the North East Side.
He was born in Truro on 6th August 1842 to parents Thomas Varker Keam Keams (1812-1868) and Grace Stephens (1808-1883). As a young man he went to sea, serving in several branches of the British, and then American military, working as a midshipman in the English mercantile marine before enlisting in the 1st New Mexico cavalry and reaching the rank of Lieutenant. He was honourably discharged at Sante Fe in the mid 1860’s.
He was granted a license by the Indian Bureau to trade with the native North American Capote and Ute tribes and worked as a clerk and an interpreter. In 1869 he married a Navajo woman, Astzan Ashihih at Fort Defiance, Arizona, and their son Tom K Keams was born there in 1871, followed by a second son Billy Keams in 1872 (Navajo Reservation). In 1872 he was appointed as a special agent for the Navajo tribe, setting up the first Navajo Police Force, and gained American citizenship in 1875.
In 1879, in conjunction with William Leonard, he established a trading post near Fort Defiance. In 1882 he moved to Keam’s Canyon to set up a store of his own, trading with the Navajo and Hopi tribes. The Navajo tribe tended to be nomadic sheepherders known for their woven rugs and blankets, whilst the Hopi tribe tended to be more settled, living on three mesas (flat topped ridge) above the surrounding desert and were known for their pottery. Thomas Keam was the first trader to develop American Indian arts and crafts as part of his business, and suggested that the native people modify their techniques to increase sales. He was involved in early archaeological work and developed lucrative contracts with museum curators and anthropologists.
As an advocate for the Indians, Keam represented the Hopis and Navajos in confrontations with the U.S. government over "civilizing" programs between 1869 and 1902, when the Indians tried to maintain their political and cultural independence. In 1875 he escorted Hopi leaders to meet President Chester A. Arthur in Washington D.C., whilst in 1887, a federal boarding school was established at Keam’s Canyon for Hopi children. This proved unpopular with the indigenous population as the school was organized to teach the Hopi youth the ways of European-American civilization, forcing them to use English and give up their traditional ways. Eventually Reservations were set up for the Navajo and Hopi peoples, but disputes continued for many years.
Thomas Keam left his trading post in 1902, returning to England. He resided at 21 Lemon Street, and died in Truro on 30th November 1904. He was buried on 3rd December 1904 in Kenwyn Churchyard.