William Apess was a Pequot Indian born into a poor disparaged and racist society. The Pequot were thought to be extinct, but there remained two small reservations in Connecticut. Apess suffered physical abuse by the hands of his alcoholic grandmother, was shuffled from foster home to foster home, and eventually suffered from alcoholism himself. During his time in foster homes, he received a minimal education, which led to his love of writing. He wrote five books between 1829 and 1836 (Calloway, 2012). Many of Apess' writings contained the cries of his people in which he plead for equality. One might say that he was one of the first civil rights activists. He fought against the discrimination his people experienced by exposing the hypocrisy, history, and racism of the white Europeans who called themselves Christians. This essay will examine a short work of Apess' with the focus on the Europeans Christian hypocrisy. It will examine how Apess exposed the hypocrisy of these so-called Christians by providing not only biblical proof, but also exposing them to examples of their hate by giving them a glimpse in the mirror, a chance to reflect upon their actions, and how in pursuit of their own freedom they trampled the Native American's. One of Apess' tools was the pen, which he used to write a short essay titled, "An Indians Looking Glass for the White Man" (Calloway, 2012). Apess' essay showed that claiming Christianity and yet showing bias and distinguishing between races is not biblical. Apess was a Methodist preacher and spoke on Christian principles with a level of expertise. His essay starts as a greeting to his fellow men as well as God in which he refers to as "the maker and preserver both of the white man and the Indian [...] w... ... middle of paper ... ...er that many non-believers find Christianity so hateful instead of a loving, all accepting relationship with God . In the final analysis of Apess short work, he demonstrated true Christianity in his righteous anger. In his writings, he did not call for vengeance, but rather a request to lay aside this hypocrisy and hatred of his people simply because they had red skin. He calls for action, for the people to open their eyes to the destruction they have caused and for his people to have the same God given rights to freedom and autonomy. Works Cited Calloway, C. G. (2012). First peoples A documentary survey of American Indian history (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s. Houdmann, S. M. (n.d.). What does the Bible say about racism, prejudice, and discrimination [Entire issue]. Got Guestions.org. Retrieved from http://www.gotquestions.org/racism-Bible.html
Native American’s place in United States history is not as simple as the story of innocent peace loving people forced off their lands by racist white Americans in a never-ending quest to quench their thirst for more land. Accordingly, attempts to simplify the indigenous experience to nothing more than victims of white aggression during the colonial period, and beyond, does an injustice to Native American history. As a result, historians hoping to shed light on the true history of native people during this period have brought new perceptive to the role Indians played in their own history. Consequently, the theme of power and whom controlled it over the course of Native American/European contact is being presented in new ways. Examining the evolving
Yet, after reading chapter five again, I understand what Howard Thurman shares in, there had to be a moment the Roman also the Jew (Negro and white) had to emerge as two human spirits that found a mutual, though individual validation. Subsequently, Thurman reminded me that in Christ Jesus is the power and strength to acknowledge any injustice, oppression without violence, fear, deception and hate (Thurman 95 -97). Furthermore, who knows more about the oppressed people than Jesus, therefore Thurman holds Jesus as the teacher of all teachers. To elaborate, I feel Howard Thurman, as a man was after God’s own heart. Even though, throughout his life he experienced racial, political and religious conflict, he stood on the Word of God, His teaching: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might,” and “thy neighbor as thyself,” (Mark 12: 29-31
Professor and poet Deborah A. Miranda, pieces together the past and uncovers and presents us with a story--a Californian story--in her memoir, “Bad Indians.” Her use of the Christian Novena, “Novena to Bad Indians,” illustrates the irony of using the form of her oppressors as a call out for help, not to God, but to her past ancestors. We tend to think of religion as a form of salvation and redemption of our lives here on Earth, in which we bare down and ask for forgiveness. But by challenging this common discourse using theological allegories and satirical terminology, Miranda turns her attention away from a Deity to call the reader out for help. It is crucial to recognize the struggles that the Native community currently face. Californian Indians are often not given recognition for their identity and their heritage, and are also repeatedly stereotyped as abusive, alcoholic, uncivilized, and “freeloaders” of the United States government. Such generalizations root back from European colonization, nevertheless still linger in our contemporary society. Miranda has taken the first step forward in characterizing few of these stereotypes in her Novena, but she’s given her story. Now what are we going to do with ours? It’s up to us to create our
Nabokov, Peter. Indian Running: Native American History and Tradition. Ancient City Press: Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1981.
In this passage, William Apess uses the literary device of a rhetorical question to convict his audience of their utter disregard for “pure principles” (2). Bold language, specifically the use of the personal pronoun “you”, identifies Apess’ audience as New England’s white population. As a result of their unethical and ignorant actions, Apess artfully probes their hearts using a sequence of escalating rhetorical questions. The question “Now if they who teach are not essentially affected with pure love, the love of God, how can they teach as they ought?” reveals Apess’ core emotional and logical appeal (3). By criticizing something so dear to his audience, such as their ability to interpret and teach scripture, he aims to make known their “unrighteous,
Of the three texts to be examined, Linda Brent's Autobiography, "Incidents," most explicitly shows the inability of the dominant culture's religion to fulfill the needs of the minority. From the tone of her story, one realizes that Brent felt "true Christianity," if it could be found, might comfort the slaves and fulfill their needs. But Brent also felt that slavery created a paradox which made "true Christianity" impossible.
Pritzker, Barry. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000. Print.
Elias Boudinot and William Apess both fight for the rights of their peoples (Native Americans) during the period just before and just after the ratification of The Indian Removal Act. Despite having the same goal, they use different rhetorical strategies to persuade their audience toward their cause. In “An Address To The Whites,” Elias Boudinot attempts to prove the Civility of Native Americans and to prove assimilation to the White Population is possible with time (appeasement). Boudinot notes the invention of an alphabet, the organization of a government, and most importantly a translation of the Bible
Kroeber, Theodora. Ishi In Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1961. Print.
James Fenimore Cooper’s novel, The Last of the Mohicans, has stood the test of time due to its cunning confrontation of the issues of race in American society. Immediately from the Author’s Introduction, Cooper readily describes the Native American in an admirable light, unable to be extinguished by the prejudices of many of his readers. “In war, he is daring, boastful, cunning, ruthless, self-denying, and self-devoted; in peace, just, generous, hospitable, revengeful, superstitious, modest, and commonly chaste” (Introduction). The way cooper describes “these remarkable people” (Introduction) clarifies his viewpoint on the bias of racism and its wrongful judgment of one’s character solely based off the color of his or her skin. At the very
There is an enormous dichotomy in the 1800s between what the White Christians say about equality of mankind and how the laws they create and impose affect that equality, specifically with the American Indian. William Apess was the first Native American to publish an autobiography, where he explained his life as a Native American and discussed the challenges he faced while attempting to conquer the Americans. In his 1833 essay “An Indian’s Looking-Glass for the White Man,” I will explain how William Apess holds up the teachings of the Bible and Christianity against the actions, laws, and behaviors of the controlling white establishment.
The American version of history blames the Native people for their ‘savage ' nature, for their failure to adhere to the ‘civilized norms ' of property ownership and individual rights that Christian people hold, and for their ‘brutality ' in defending themselves against the onslaught of non-Indian settlers. The message to Native people is simple: "If only you had been more like us, things might have been different for you.”
Arthur Jarvis an engineer can be seen as the Christ figure. Although he was white, Arthur Jarvis was working as an advocate for the rights of blacks. Like Christ, he wants to pursue all of his goals at whatever the cost. “Here he was, day in and day out, on a kind of mission” (173). Arthur Jarvis writes, “The truth is that our Christian civilization is riddled through and through with dilemma. We believe in the brotherhood of man, but we do not want it in South Africa…” (186). Here Arthur Jarvis is contrasting a Christianity that supports the notion of black people as being inferior with a Christianity belief that rejects white supremacy. There are some Christians who argue that God wants the blacks of South Africa to remain unskilled and trying to educate them would be an un-Christian like action.
We, as with these early critics of Christianity, tend to prejudge others by stereotyping and by our refusal to engage others, as Jesus taught. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew
Slave-owners forced a perverse form of Christianity, one that condoned slavery, upon slaves. According to this false Christianity the enslavement of “black Africans is justified because they are the descendants of Ham, one of Noah's sons; in one Biblical story, Noah cursed Ham's descendants to be slaves” (Tolson 272). Slavery was further validated by the numerous examples of it within the bible. It was reasoned that these examples were confirmation that God condoned slavery. Douglass’s master...