The North American Indian were extremely respectful of nature and particularly the trees around them. When they had a need to cut down a tree for building a canoe for example they went to great lengths to let the tree know what they were going to do with ritual ceremony lasting for hours, thus allowing the spirit of the tree to descend back down it's trunk and into the earth from which it rose. This ritual would in their belief render the tree effectively dead and without spirit and therefore lifeless; the other trees around would breathe a sigh of relief that they had not been selected and were still full with spirit.
The Indian, completely sentient, and sensitive to this special moment would promptly and very quickly cut down one of the neighbouring trees before it had a chance! Thus they had placated the spirit of the forest for what they were about to do and also seized a fine, spirited tree suitable for their purposes.
Cunning buggers, eh?
