▁for ▁which ▁a ▁wooden ▁statue ▁was ▁later ▁placed ▁near ▁the ▁lake , ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁H ank ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁stay ing ▁at ▁a ▁la kes ide ▁cabin ▁that ▁he ▁owned ▁and ▁still ▁stands ▁today . ▁ ▁Content ▁The ▁song ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁wooden ▁Indian , ▁K aw - L iga , ▁who ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁an ▁" Ind ian ▁ma id ▁over ▁in ▁the ▁ant ique ▁store " ▁but ▁does ▁not ▁tell ▁her ▁so , ▁being , ▁as ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁say : ▁▁ ▁To o ▁stub born ▁to ▁ever ▁show ▁a ▁sign , ▁ ▁Because ▁his ▁heart ▁was ▁made ▁of ▁kn ot ty ▁p ine . ▁ ▁The ▁Indian ▁ma id ▁wa its ▁for ▁K aw - L iga ▁to ▁signal ▁his ▁affection ▁for ▁her , ▁but ▁he ▁either ▁ref uses ▁or ▁is ▁phys ically / em otion ally ▁unable ▁( inter pret ations ▁vary ) ▁to ▁talk . ▁Some ▁interpret ▁K aw - L iga ▁as ▁a ▁sto ical ▁Native ▁American ▁s tere ot ype ▁but ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁mascul ine ▁pride ▁and ▁emot ional ▁hard ness ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁one ▁in ▁country ▁music ▁and ▁the ▁then ▁common ▁" d ime - store ▁Indians " ▁( which ▁were ▁the ▁store ' s ▁way ▁of ▁advert ising ▁that ▁they ▁sold ▁to b acco ) ▁being ▁made ▁of ▁un mov ing ▁wood ▁was ▁a ▁perfect ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁general ▁a version ▁to ▁expression ▁of ▁em otion ▁common ▁to ▁all ▁men . ▁Because ▁of ▁his ▁stub born ness