Mary Jemison and the Seneca people

Mary Jemison was abducted by Native Indian Tribes and given to Seneca people when her entire family, except her younger brother, were murdered during the Seven Years’ War between France and Britain. Mary Jemison was adopted by a Seneca couple and lived her teenage life as well as part of her married life in the region of New York City. This essay will discuss as to how the culture of Seneca people is reflected throughout the biography of Mary Jemison and how accurate it is in relevance to the actual culture of the Seneca women and their roles in the Seneca tribe.

The roles of the Seneca Women included farming, nurturing, and family. This meant that women would cultivate the three sisters, which were corn, beans and squash that the Seneca people would farm for food. Moreover, this made it more viable for Seneca people to hunt as well as gain cultivated food for themselves. In Mary Jemison’s account and biography, cultivation by women is briefly mentioned throughout her say with the Seneca people. It is also mentioned by her as to how she was taught to cultivate and grow crops as well. The reasoning of looking after family and caring for the family was also another role that was played by the women rather than men. The men were only expected to hunt, fight, and make trade. On the other hand, this made it absolutely sure that the women would only farm, cultivate, look after the family, and make other important decisions that are only for the clan itself.

The Seneca people were part of the Iroquois tribe and this made the Iroquois Tribe stronger as the Seneca people were present on the New York region of land, therefore, keeping security at the tip of the land region within the area. They would only bring men to represent the Seneca people in the Iroquois Confederacy. However, the decisions for which men would go and represent the Seneca people made through votes given by women. Hence, it was women who chose the representatives. It was also women that made important decisions for the clan, such as which land to be turned into farming land, which land to be built as a residential area, and which land to acquire or defend at first. All decision relative to the land’s safety, and living standards to be maintained, were made by the Women of the Seneca People.

In this manner, women were seen as equal to men within the Seneca people and Mary Jemison was no different in her adaptation of becoming a decision maker and a decisive women in her mannerisms and life choices. Mary Jemison was taught how to make decisions that would benefit her as well as her family, as written in the book. This is why Mary made the decision to move on to her husband’s relative clans when her husband died during one day when he went for hunting. This shows as to how culturally involved Mary Jemison was with the Seneca Culture and how her role of a women had become more equal to men in her life. This is also the reason as to why Mary Jemison did not go back to the British Colony as she saw that the women of the British Colony had no equal rights in comparison to men, like what was practiced in the Seneca People. All of these decisions and choices were also briefly mentioned in the biography of Mary Jemison, which goes on to show that Mary Jemison had indeed changed into the culture of the Seneca people, where gender roles were kept with equality rather than inequality.

Therefore, in conclusion, It can be said that while Mary Jemison may not have been entirely redeemed into the Seneca people, she did represent their culture.