Mary Jemison was one of the most famous white captives who, after being captured by Indians, chose to stay and live among her captors. In the midst of the Seven Years War(1758), at about age fifteen, Jemison was taken from her western Pennsylvania home by a Shawnee and French raiding party. Her family was killed, but Mary was traded to two Seneca sisters who adopted her to replace a slain brother. She lived to survive two Indian husbands, the births of eight children, the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the canal era in upstate New York. In 1833 she died at about age ninety.
Full title: A Narrative Of The Life Of Mrs. Mary Jemison Who was taken by the Indians, in the year 1755, when only about twelve years of age, and has continued to reside amongst them to the present time. Containing An Account of the Murder of her Father and his Family; her sufferings; her marriage to two Indians; her troubles with her Children; barbarities of the Indians in the French and Revolutionary Wars; the life of her last Husband, etc.; and many Historical Facts never before published. Carefully taken from her own words, November 29th, 1823.
"A Narrative Of The Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison Who was taken by the Indians in the year 1755," when only about twelve years of age, and has continued to reside amongst them to the present time. Containing An Account of the Murder of her Father and his Family; her sufferings; her marriage to two Indians; her troubles with her Children; barbarities of the Indians in the French and Revolutionary Wars; the life of her last Husband, etc.; and many Historical Facts never before published. Carefully taken from her own words, November 29th, 1823. In this book, Seaver tells the story of Jemison's captivity, her life, her marriage to a Seneca Indian, then after his death, her marriage to another Seneca man; then the birth of her 8 or 9 children, and the hard life she had as a Seneca woman--though once accepted into the tribe she was treated like any other woman of the tribe. Mary Jemison became known, probably in her own lifetime, as "The White Woman of the Genessee." Her kindness and charity to all people were well known throughout her life, despite the cruelties she had seen or experienced from both the settlers and the Seneca tribe. She ended her life owning land and a small house, and living near her daughters and grandchildren. At 80 years old she was still doing all the major work of a typical Seneca woman. At the end of the book, Seaver explains some of the Seneca myths, their creation myth, the mid-winter ritual, a type of winter solstice. In the mid-winter ritual two pure white dogs take on all the "sins" of the tribe during the past year. They are painted, decorated, then sacrifed and burned. Seaver also describes the war dance and the peace dance, describes funerals, their concept of the God-like "great spirit" called Nau-wan-e-u, and his brother who is a satan type of figure. One legend is that far back in time all the tribes spoke the same language...several interesting points about their customs and religion are described.
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Mary Jemison was one of the most famous white captives who, after being captured by Indians, chose to stay and live among her captors. In the midst of the Seven Years War(1758), at about age fifteen, Jemison was taken from her western Pennsylvania home by a Shawnee and French raiding party. Her family was killed, but Mary was traded to two Seneca sisters who adopted her to replace a slain brother. She lived to survive two Indian husbands, the births of eight children, the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the canal era in upstate New York. In 1833 she died at about age ninety.
