Apress and Sigourney's Theme

     In reading both Apess' and Sigourney's writings, the central theme that came across was civil rights for classes or cultures of society, focusing on Native Americans. In "An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man" Apress brings some very valuable information to the table in regaurds to Native American rights. In the beginning, Apress states, "Now I ask if degradation has not been heaped long enough upon the Indians? And if so, can there not be a compromise? Is it right to hold and promote prejudices? If not, why not put them all away?"(Apress 641) Apress is asking questions as to why is this happening and what is the reason for this, also leading up to some of his final thoughts. Apress also asks the question, "Can you charge the indians with robbing a nation almost of their whole continent, and murdering their women and children, and then depriving the remainder of their lawful rights, that nature and God require them to have? and to cap the climax, rob another nation to till their grounds and welter our their days under the lash with hunger and fatigue under the scorching rays of the burning sun?" (Apress 642) Apress brings up the point leading back to day one of our readings when we discussed who was actually here first. In addition, he points out that the Indians have endured much since the Englishman have been there and turns it around asking if the Indians have done that to their own people.
      Just like Apress, Sigourney has the same theme dealing with rights among different cultures or societies. In her biography, "Signourney was a popular poet who used conventional forms, writing elegies to honor dead friends and lyrics about nature. But she also wrote about social and political problems in the United States" (Signourney 1204).In her poem "Indian Names, Signourney has the same message as Apress, stating about the mistreatment of the Native Americans. She describes how the Indians are no longer present due to the Englishmen basically cutting them away from society. In describing their non presence, Signourney states, " Ye say, they all have passed away, that noble race and brave, that their light canoes have vanished from off the crested wave" (Signourney 1204). In ending, she clearly takes a stab at the Englishmen by stating, "Monadnock on this forehead hoar doth steal the sacred trust, your mountains build their monument, though ye destroy their dust" (Signourney 1205). In both pieces of writing, both writers make clear that the Indians have a ways to gain their rights of individuals. Both analyze their struggles on this land and once they had had everything, it was abruptly taken away.