--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The old Indian teaching was that is is…" description: "\"The old Indian teaching was that is is wrong to tear loose from its place on the earth anything that may be growing there. It may be cut off, but it sh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/wooden-leg-91395_cutting_the-old-indian-teaching-was-that-is-is-w_1474431.png" --- # The old Indian teaching was that is is wrong to tear loose… ![“The old Indian teaching was that is is wrong to tear loose from its place on the earth anything that may be growing there. It may be cut off, but it should not be uprooted. The trees and the grass have spirits. Whatever one of such growth may be destroyed by some good Indian, his act is done in…” quote by Wooden Leg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/wooden-leg-91395_cutting_the-old-indian-teaching-was-that-is-is-w_1474431.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/wooden-leg-91395_cutting_the-old-indian-teaching-was-that-is-is-w_1474431.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cef/wooden-leg-91395_cutting_the-old-indian-teaching-was-that-is-is-w_1474431.png) > “The old Indian teaching was that is is wrong to tear loose from its place on the earth anything that may be growing there. It may be cut off, but it should not be uprooted. The trees and the grass have spirits. Whatever one of such growth may be destroyed by some good Indian, his act is done in sadness and with a prayer for forgiveness because of his necessities...” [Wooden Leg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wooden-leg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Disturbing the earth's growth harms its spirit; removal should be done with sorrow and prayer. **In simple terms:** Uprooting nature is disrespectful; ask with reverence. Key Takeaway Treat natural resources with humility and ritual. Themes environment spirituality stewardship tradition respect Mood reflective respectful spiritual Type Cutting:1 Destroyed:0 Done:0 Earth:1 Education:0 Grass:1 Great native american:0 Growing:1 Growth:1 Indian:1 May:0 Native:1 Native america:1 Native american:1 Native american earth:1 Native american indian:1 Nature:1 Prayer:1 Sadness:1 Should:0 Spirit:1 Stewardship:1 Teaching:1 Tears:0 Tree:1 Trees:1 Sadness Prayer:0 Growth Destroyed:0 Uprooted Trees:0 Cut Uprooted:0 Indian Teaching:1 When to use this quote - forestry - agriculture - land management Key Concepts indigenous ecology ethical harvesting spiritual reverence Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we have to the spirits of living things? - How can we honor tradition while meeting needs? A Different Perspective Modern industrial practices often ignore these rituals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cut Uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cut-uprooted-5358696/) [Cutting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cutting/) [Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyed/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Grass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grass/) [Great native american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-native-american/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Growth Destroyed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth-destroyed-5358694/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/) [Indian Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian-teaching-5358697/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Native](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native/) [Native america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-america/) [Native american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-american/) [Native american earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-american-earth/) [Native american indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-american-indian/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sadness Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness-prayer-1780812/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Stewardship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stewardship/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Uprooted Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uprooted-trees-5358695/) ## Related quotes > [Will God or someone give me the power to breathe my sigh into my canvases, the sigh of prayer and sadness, the prayer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/will-god-or-someone-give-me-the-power-to-breathe-my-sigh-into-my/) [Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/) > [Sometimes you may feel very sad, because sadness also belongs to God. 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