A Son of the Forest (1829) is an autobiography by William Apes. An
indentured servant, soldier, minister, and activist, Apes lived an
uncommonly rich life for someone who died at just 41 years of age.
Recognized for his pioneering status as a Native American public figure,
William Apes was an astute recorder of a life in between. His
autobiography explores the psychological effects of oppression,
addiction, and cultural change from the viewpoint of a man who
experienced them all. "[T]he great fear I entertained of my brethren,
was occasioned by the many stories I had heard of their cruelty towards
the whites--how they were in the habit of killing and scalping men,
women and children. But the whites did not tell me that they were in a
great majority of instances the aggressors--that they had imbrued their
hands in the life blood of my brethren, driven them from their once
peaceful and happy homes..." While out on a berry picking expedition as
a boy, William--by then living as an indentured servant with a local
white family--spots a group of Native women. From the reaction of his
foster family, he realizes for the first time in his life the inherent
racial biases he has absorbed despite recognizing his own Pequot
heritage. A Son of the Forest is a groundbreaking autobiography from a
pioneering author and activist of the early nineteenth century. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of William Apes' A Son of the Forest is a classic of Native
American literature reimagined for modern readers.
