IROQUOIS THANKSGIVING ADDRESS
“Ohenton Kariwwahtekwen”—“The Words Before All Else” Greetings
to the Natural World
THE PEOPLE
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue.
We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with
each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together
as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people.
Now our minds are One.
THE EARTH MOTHER
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that
we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It
gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the
beginning of time. To our mother the Earth, we send greetings and
thanks.
Now our minds are One.
THE WATERS
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst
and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in
many forms--waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and
oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of
Water.
Now our minds are One.
THE FISH
We turn our minds to the all the Fish life in the water. They were
instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves
to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So,
we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are One.
THE PLANTS
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can
see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life
forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look
forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.
Now our minds are One.
THE FOOD PLANTS
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we
harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains,
vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many
other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the
Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks.
Now our minds are One.
THE MEDICINE HERBS
Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the
beginning they were instructed to take away sickness. They are
always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still
among us those special few who remember how to use these plants
for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the
Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.
Now our minds are One.
THE ANIMALS
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the
Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as
people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we
may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our
homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and
we hope that it will always be so.
Now our minds are One.
THE TREES
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families
of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us
with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful
things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace
and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.
Now our minds are One.
THE BIRDS
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move
and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful
songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The
Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds--from the
smallest to the largest--we send our joyful greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are One.
THE FOUR WINDS
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We
hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the
air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From
the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us
strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the
Four Winds.
Now our minds are One.
THE THUNDERERS
Now we turn to the west where our grandfathers, the Thunder
Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with
them the water that renews life. We bring our minds together as one
to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.
Now our minds are One.
THE SUN
We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun.
Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing
the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one
mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.
Now our minds are One.
GRANDMOTHER MOON
We put our minds together to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother,
the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of woman
all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides.
By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who
watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we
send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.
Now our minds are One.
THE STARS
We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like
jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the
darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When
we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered
together as one, we send greetings and thanks to the Stars.
Now our minds are One.
THE ENLIGHTENED TEACHERS
We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers
who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to
live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live
as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these
caring teachers.
Now our minds are One.
THE CREATOR
Now we turn our thoughts to the creative force of all life. Some call
this the creator, God or the Great Spirit... some say the big bang, or
simply "I don't know." Each of us can choose silently the words or
image make sense to us. Together we send our greetings and thanks
for all the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is
here on this Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather
our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings
and thanks.
Now our minds are One.
CLOSING WORDS
We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. We
send, finally, a special Thanksgiving and Greetings to all the children
of all the future generations. And of all the things we have named, it
was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was
forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and
thanks in their own way.
Now our minds are One.
This written form of the Thanksgiving Address is based on that which
Jake Swamp has shared around the world. It was adapted slightly for
use in a public educational setting. More information about the
Thanksgiving Address may be found on the web.
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