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...
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...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
This paper elaborates on the diverse contributions peoples of African descent have made to the pluralistic religious landscape of America and replicates various passages from our textbook. It focuses on the personal narratives of non-religious to religious leaders—exemplifying their influence on the African American religious movement during slavery and the reconstruction of America. Each section represents different historical periods, regional variations, and non-Christian expressions of African-American religion.
Shoemaker, Nancy. “ Native-American Women in History.” OAH Magazine of History , Vol. 9, No. 4, Native Americans (Summer, 1995), pp. 10-14. 17 Nov. 2013
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Jacquelyin Kilpatrick , Celluloid Indians. Native Americans and Film. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1999
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.
Josephy, Alvin M, The American Heritage Book of Indians, New York, American Heritage Publishing Co,1961
Kroeber, Theodora. Ishi In Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1961. Print.
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