--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the first of us failed at growing or…" description: "\"“When the first of us failed at growing or herding or plowing the fields, we were told that we could sign a piece of paper and get money for the land, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/louise-erdrich-1271_land-taking_when-the-first-of-us-failed-at-growing-o_1281573.jpg" --- # When the first of us failed at growing or herding or… ![“When the first of us failed at growing or herding or plowing the fields, we were told that we could sign a piece of paper and get money for the land, without anyone taking it. Mortgage, this was called, a piece of banker’s cleverness that sounded good to many. I spoke against this trick, but who…” quote by Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/louise-erdrich-1271_land-taking_when-the-first-of-us-failed-at-growing-o_1281573.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/louise-erdrich-1271_land-taking_when-the-first-of-us-failed-at-growing-o_1281573.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae1/louise-erdrich-1271_land-taking_when-the-first-of-us-failed-at-growing-o_1281573.jpg) > ““When the first of us failed at growing or herding or plowing the fields, we were told that we could sign a piece of paper and get money for the land, without anyone taking it. Mortgage, this was called, a piece of banker’s cleverness that sounded good to many. I spoke against this trick, but who listened to Nanapush? People signed the paper, got money, came home night after night full of whiskey and food. Suddenly the foreclosure notices were handed out and the land was barred. It belonged to someone else.”” [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Indigenous people were misled into signing mortgages, losing land to banks, highlighting exploitation. **In simple terms:** Beware deceptive contracts that strip ownership. Key Takeaway Protect community land rights. Themes colonialism exploitation land rights trust Mood somber reflective Type historical educational When to use this quote - community meetings - legal aid - education campaigns Key Concepts legal manipulation economic coercion cultural survival Questions to Reflect On - How can communities safeguard against predatory loans? - What role does storytelling play in resistance? A Different Perspective Complex legal systems can trap victims. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Banker Cleverness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banker-cleverness-4143053/) [Handed Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handed-land-4143051/) [Land Barred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-barred-4143052/) [Land Taking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-taking-756529/) [Mortgage Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortgage-called-4143050/) ## Related quotes > [“Any idea what the land is worth?” Samantha asked. Mrs. Crump crunched her dentures and said, “A lot more than anybody knows. You see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/any-idea-what-the-land-is-worth-samantha-asked-mrs-crump-crunched-her/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [There is something basic about protecting land by taking it off the market. People should be able to enjoy where they live while at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/there-is-something-basic-about-protecting-land-by-taking-it-off-the/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [The most interesting biofuel efforts avoid using land that's expensive and has high opportunity costs. They do this by getting onto other types of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-most-interesting-biofuel-efforts-avoid-using-land-that-s/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) ## More by Louise Erdrich > [Can you stop your mother from singing to you? Who would do such a thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/can-you-stop-your-mother-from-singing-to-you-who-would-do-such-a-thing/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Emotions unreel in her like spools of cotton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/emotions-unreel-in-her-like-spools-of-cotton/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Other freshmen were already moving into their dormitory rooms when we arrived, with their parents helping haul. I saw boxes of paperbacks, stereo equipment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/other-freshmen-were-already-moving-into-their-dormitory-rooms-when-we/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [My father is my biggest literary influence. Recently, I've been looking through his letters. He was in the National Guard when I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/my-father-is-my-biggest-literary-influence-recently-i-ve-been-looking/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [What is this life but the sound of an appalling love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/what-is-this-life-but-the-sound-of-an-appalling-love/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Looking at the shape of the world, I see how we're in a time where women are the subject of hatred, fear, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/looking-at-the-shape-of-the-world-i-see-how-we-re-in-a-time-where/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [She had always been a reader… but now she was obsessed. Since her discovery of the book hoard downstairs from her job, she’d been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/she-had-always-been-a-reader-but-now-she-was-obsessed-since-her/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Time was rushing around me like water around a big wet rock. The only difference is, I was not so durable as stones. Very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/time-was-rushing-around-me-like-water-around-a-big-wet-rock-the-only/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [The greatest wisdom doesn't know itself. The richest plan is not to have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-greatest-wisdom-doesn-t-know-itself-the-richest-plan-is-not-to/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“Delphine began to read with a mad attention when she wanted to talk to Clarisse. She saw that in her life there was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/delphine-began-to-read-with-a-mad-attention-when-she-wanted-to-talk/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [But if there was embellishment, it only had to do with the facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/but-if-there-was-embellishment-it-only-had-to-do-with-the-facts/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Things which do not grow and change are dead things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/things-which-do-not-grow-and-change-are-dead-things/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [I have to write. I have to be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-have-to-write-i-have-to-be-an-artist/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“The Creator made us for each other. Me here. Zelia there. Space was put between us by human error. But our hearts listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/the-creator-made-us-for-each-other-me-here-zelia-there-space-was-put/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [So many things in the world have happened before. But it's like they never did. Every new thing that happens to a person, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/so-many-things-in-the-world-have-happened-before-but-it-s-like-they/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) [Explore all 262 Louise Erdrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) ## More Land Taking quotes > [“Any idea what the land is worth?” Samantha asked. Mrs. Crump crunched her dentures and said, “A lot more than anybody knows. You see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/any-idea-what-the-land-is-worth-samantha-asked-mrs-crump-crunched-her/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [There is something basic about protecting land by taking it off the market. People should be able to enjoy where they live while at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/there-is-something-basic-about-protecting-land-by-taking-it-off-the/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [The most interesting biofuel efforts avoid using land that's expensive and has high opportunity costs. They do this by getting onto other types of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-most-interesting-biofuel-efforts-avoid-using-land-that-s/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) [Browse all 4 Land Taking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-taking-756529/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When the first of us failed at growing or herding or plowing the fields, we were told that we could sign a piece of paper and get money for the land, without anyone taking it. Mortgage, this was called, a piece of banker’s cleverness that sounded good to many. I spoke against this trick, but who listened to Nanapush? People signed the paper, got money, came home night after night full of whiskey and food. Suddenly the foreclosure notices were handed out and the land was barred. 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