History has it that when the Great Law of Peace was established, Haudenosaunee as people were reminded by the Peacemaker or God to give thanks to the Natural World, and hence, the Thanksgiving Address was reestablished. Thus, there is intricate link between The Thanksgiving Address, the Kaianeraserakowa and the Creation Story.
The traditional Native American words of Thanksgiving come from the people of the Six Nations: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora, also known as the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee, who live in upstate New York, Wisconsin and Canada.
Thanksgiving Address is uttered as a spiritual address to the powers of the natural world. These words are used to open gatherings in order to bring the minds of the people together as one and align the gathered minds with nature. The roots of these words reach back thousands of years to the very origins of the Haudenosaunee as a people.
Thanksgiving Address teaches mutual respect, conservation, love, generosity, and the responsibility to understand that what is done to one part of the Web of Life, we do to ourselves. The Great Law of Peace and the Thanksgiving Address are the backbone of the Haudenosaunee traditional law and ecological knowledge. Certain policies, principles, moral duties, laws, ceremonies, and other religious and political aspects were given to Haudenosaunee to learn to live in harmony with each other and with the Natural World. This comprises The Great Law of Peace and the Thanksgiving Address.
The English version of the Thanksgiving Address: (Optional)
We Give Them hanks
To be a human being is an honor, and we offer thanksgiving for all the gifts of life.
Mother Earth, we thank you for giving us everything we need.
Thank you, deep blue waters around Mother Earth, for you are the force that takes thirst away from all living things.
We give thanks to green grasses that feel so good against our bare feet, for the cool beauty you bring to Mother Earth's floor.
Thank you, good foods from Mother Earth, our life sustainers, for making us happy when we are hungry.
Fruits and berries, we thank you for your color and sweetness.
We are all thankful to good medicine herbs, for healing us when we are sick.
Thank you, all the animals in the world, for keeping our precious forests clean.
All the trees in the world, we are thankful for the shade and warmth you give us.
Thank you, all the birds in the world, for singing your beautiful songs for all to enjoy.
We give thanks to you, gentle Four Winds, for bringing clean air for us to breathe from the four directions.
Thank you, Grandfather Thunder Beings, for bringing rains to help all living things grow.
Elder Brother Sun, we send thanks for shining your light and warming Mother Earth.
Thank you, Grandmother Moon, for growing full every month to light the darkness for children and sparkling waters.
We give you thanks, twinkling stars, for making the night sky so beautiful and for sprinkling morning dew drops on the plants.
Spirit Protectors of our past and present, we thank you for showing us ways to live in peace and harmony with one another.
And most of all, thank you, Great Spirit, for giving us all these wonderful gifts, so we will be happy and healthy every day and every night.
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