The Children of Smmion and Alice Kemp Lamey, Descendants of Lamey

The case of Alice and Simmion Lamey is another set of descendants that come from the Chickasaw known simply as Lamey. Alice Kemp was married to Simmion Lamey who was the son of full blood Lamey, a Chickasaw Indian. An attempt was made by the Lameys to register as Chickasaws by Blood, but as the Dawes Commission unfolded, many Freedmen were blocked by registering as such, and the officiating parties overlooked any blood tie to their Chickasaw families. Evidence of such discussion was handled by the "summaries" placed in their files, as if they were official interviews. These summaries were often less than five sentences in length, and they addressed only the period of enslavement in the applicants' history.

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas
Perry Files:  File Number 100, Image 

The Lameys resided in Wiley, I. T.,  and their names were placed on Chickasaw Freedmen Card number 888. The names of their children and one grandchild were listed on the card. Simmion was listed as having been enslaved by Ala-hun-tub-by. Alice, his wife was listed as having been enslaved by Jennie McGilbray.

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedman Card #888 

On the reverse side of the card, Lamey the Chickasaw was identified as Simmion's father. His mother was identified as Rose Alahuntubby, enslaved by the same person as her son Simmion.  Alice's father was not identified, but her mother was identified as Caroline Cravatt, enslaved by Jennie McGillbray.

 Reverse side of card

The interview was a summary, and the original words spoken by the applicants are not presented in the file. Simply a statement pertaining to their enslavement was typed and placed in the file.

National Archives Publication M1301
Chickasaw Freedman File 888

This case of another son of Lamey speaks to the fact that there were families that emerged between citizens by blood of Indian Territory, and their former slaves, and in some cases such as the children of Lamey the Chickasaw their identity was that of the tribe into which they were born and lived. The reason to keep the Freedmen descendants from enrolling was always stated to be that they were never recognized or put on any roll of Chickasaws by blood. However, Chickasaws broke the treaty of 1866 and refused to adopt their former slaves and never granted them the privilege of citizenship, so they never had the opportunity to be enrolled. 

The Blood Tie
Nevertheless--the children of Alice and Simmion Lamey have the right to speak to their history and to call out the names of their ancestors. They were the descendants of their Chickasaw grandfather, Lamey.