Jemison, Mary (1743-1833), was called “The White Woman of the Genesee.” She was born at sea while her parents were coming from Ireland to America. The family settled on a farm in Pennsylvania. A party of Shawnee and French soldiers captured the family in 1758. Her parents were killed. Like most children who were taken captive, Mary was adopted into a Native American family. She became a member of the Seneca tribe. She grew up with the Seneca and refused to return to white society. She married twice. Her second husband was a Seneca chief.
Jemison lived near the Genesee River in colonial New York. Her Seneca name was name Dehgewanus, which means “Two Fallen Voices.” When white settlers moved nearby, they became interested in her life story. In 1831, she moved to the Buffalo Creek Reservation. Jemison died on Sept. 19, 1833.
