LET US REMEMBER TO GIVE THANKS EVERYDAY...AND SO SUSTAIN THE EARTH...WHITEFAWN STARTHANKSGIVING GREETING...
"It is believed that as long as one person continues to give the Thanksgiving Address, the Earth will be sustained and all life will be sustained..but when we forget to be grateful for all the gifts we so freely receive, then the Earth will end as we know it"...Iroquois
THE IROQUOIS THANKSGIVING ADDRESS
"Ohenton Kariwahtekwen"
GREETINGS TO THE NATURAL WORLD
By
Chief Jake Swamp
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. We give thanks for our family,
friends, and fellow human beings...
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, 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 are thankful that
they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. 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 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 creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for all the gifts
of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother
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 to the Creator.
Now our minds are
one.
CLOSING WORDS..........
We have now arrived at
the place where we end our words. 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. WE GIVE THANKS FOR YOU...
~Chief Jake Swamp
Jake
Tekaronianeken Swamp Oct. 18, 1941 -
Oct. 15, 2010
Former Wolf Clan sub-chief of the
Kanienkehaka (People of the Flint), Mohawk Nation. For more
than thirty years Jake Swamp had been a Mohawk sub-Chief and
representative of the Haudenosaunee, Iroquois Confederacy
which is comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga,
Seneca and Tuscarora Nations. He has presented the wide
range of his experience in indigenous, environmental and
social issues in talks and programs both locally and
internationally.
Jake Swamp founded the Tree of
Peace Society in an effort to address current topics in
environmental and cultural education. The Tree of Peace
Society builds cross-cultural understanding between Native
and non-Native people, promotes environmental and social
ethics, and works tirelessly to preserve the culture and
languages of the Haudenosaunee.
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