The Sign of the Beaver | Themes

The Sign of the Beaver Themes

Cultural Conflict

The constant conflict caused by the modern white man's trespass on what the Indians feel is their land and the Indians' fierce protection of it creates one of the central themes of the novel. In 1767, the territory that will eventually become the state of Maine is opened to white homesteaders. This occurs only after a truce with the Indians who are native to that region. Unknown to most whites wanting to settle there, the natives feel they have been tricked. The treaty they sign is, for them, a statement that they have become friends of the white man. However, they soon learn that the treaty they signed is a document that transfers their lands and their rights to and fish to the whites. The entire theory that a man may own land is not understood by the Indians, who feel the land is like the air, open to all...
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