This prayer comes
from the Native people of the Iroquois Confederacy. The Iroquois or Haudenosanee
is comprised of six Native tribes: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca
and Tuscarora, all located in New York State and Canada.
The prayer is based
on the belief that the world can not be taken for granted, and that we
must thank all living things in order to align our minds with the natural
world. This prayer is the backbone of the Iroquois culture.
A faithkeeper is
selected to share the words of thanksgiving at the opening and closing
of social, government, and ceremonial events. The prayer follows a general
structure, however, individual speakers use their own distinct words and
expression. This prayer follows an order, beginning with the lowest spiritual
forces on Earth, continuing to those in the sky, and ending with the highest
forces beyond the sky. The prayer begins with The People, and is
followed by The Earth, The Waters, The Fish, The Plants, The Animals,
The Trees, The Birds, Our Sustenance, The Winds, The Thunderers, The Sun,
The Moon, The Stars, The Four Beings, and Handsome Lake. The prayer
ends with The Creator.
The Spiritual Forces on the Earth
The
Spiritual Forces on the Earth are:
the
People, our Mother Earth,
the
Waters, the Fish, the Grasses,
the
Plants, our Sustenance,
the
Animals, the Trees, and the Birds
Throughout
the year
we
bring our minds together as one
We
give thanks to one another
All
year long
she
gives us all that we need
We
give thanks to our Mother Earth
Everyday
it
quenches our thirst
We
give thanks to the waters
In
winter
it
replenishes the lakes
We
give thanks to the waters
During
the year
they
purify the lakes
We
give thanks to the fish
When
the wind turns warm
a
green blanket appears
We
give thanks to the grasses
In
early summer
the
flowers turn sweet
We
give thanks to the medicinal plants
In
early summer
they
help us survive
We
give thanks to the food plants
In
midsummer
we
dance for the green corn
We
give thanks to our sustenance
In
midsummer
we
dance for the red beans
We
give thanks to our sustenance
At
the end of summer
we
celebrate good fortune
We
give thanks to our sustenance
During
the winter
their
pelts warm the soul
We
give thanks to the animal creatures
Since
early times
they
have been our companions
We
give thanks to the animal creatures
In
early spring
we
are glad they reappear
We
give thanks to the animal creatures
At
one point in time
it
became a symbol of peace
We
give thanks to the trees
At
the end of spring
the
sap will flow
We
give thanks to the trees
In
early morning
they
carry messages
We
give thanks to the birds
In
times of danger
he
warns the people
We
give thanks to the birds
In
the summer
they
sing sweet songs
We
give thanks to the birds
The Spiritual Forces in the Sky
The
Spiritual Forces in the Sky are:
the
Four Winds, our Grandfather Thunder,
our
Elder Brother Sun,
our
Grandmother Moon, and the Stars
Throughout
the seasons
they
refresh the air
We
give thanks to the Four Winds
In
early summer
they
bring the falling drops
We
give thanks to our Grandfather Thunder
Every
morning
he
brings light and warmth
We
give thanks to our Elder Brother Sun
Every
night
she
watches over the arrival of children
We
give thanks to our Grandmother Moon
In
the night
their
sparkle guides us home
We
give thanks to the stars
The Spiritual Forces beyond the Sky
The
Highest Spiritual Forces beyond the Sky are:
our
Protectors, Handsome Lake, and the Creator
All
the time
they
remind us how to live
We
give thanks to our protectors
At
one point in time
he
brought back the words of the Creator
We
give thanks to Handsome Lake
Everyday
we
will share with one another all of these good things
We
give thanks to the Creator
The End of Prayer
