Greetings To The Natural World

What happens when our allegiance lies with winds and waters that know no boundaries, that cannot be bought or sold? -

Robin Wall Kimmerer

Happy Thanksgiving! May the bountiful blessings of your beautiful life and our wondrous world be filling your Heart and Being with profound gratitude, today and always.  It is our tradition to gather as a family up at Mom & Pops house in Taylorsville for Thanksgiving. I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside my mom in the kitchen yesterday and today,.. prepping food, planning and coordinating dishes, cleaning between cycles, baking pies and cooking, … all day long. Food, family, and friendships are such wonderful expressions of abundance! I always enjoy coming home up here to the mountains! This morning we woke up to the temperature being 20 degrees outside …. Burrrrr! …. Oh,…. But so invigorating! ….. Walking outside this morning, I was greeted by the warm morning sun. The quiet stillness is often quite palpable in the mountains and at this time of year I love breathing in the refreshing chilly air.  The frost was thawing as the sun climbed higher in the sky.   Yesterday, in the late afternoon, a cold north wind came sweeping around me as I enjoyed the last of the Sun’s warmth, saying ‘hello’ and reminding me that winter is coming. Each night after dinner we have been enjoying a stroll around this very quiet town and the clear vastness of the dark star-filled night sky above has been so beautiful! As a person whose spiritual orientation has always aligned with nature and resonated most with earth based cultures, I feel the most alive when I am outside. There is a quiet “remembering” that happens when I am in nature. Its funny that I’ve become such a city girl! But, no matter where we are, we can always orient towards the natural world….which includes heart to heart connections between us humans by the way! Honoring the gifts we are provided with by nature and celebrating our place within the great inter-play of creation grounds us into the truth that all Beings are mutually inter-dependent! 

As an ode to Thanksgiving, which was coming up, A friend recently read out loud from the book “Braiding Sweetgrass - Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants”, written by Robin Wall Kimmerer, who shares with the world as a neighbor to the Onondaga people…. And, as a friend to the Haudenosaunee Nation. The chapter, “Allegiance To Gratitude”, is a beautifully written passage about the Thanksgiving address, which is spoken at ceremonial gatherings and meetings held by the Haudenosaunee Nation.  This Thanksgiving address is also invoked as a daily practice within the family structure and daily school protocols, which creates a “culture of gratitude”.  Their children grow up learning to honor all living Beings, human or not, along with recognizing their responsibilities as a Being on the planet.  As Robin Kimmerer reminds us  in her book, one of our greatest responsibilities and gifts as a Human Being is our capacity for gratitude. I can’t wait to read the rest of this nourishing and inspiring book! Perhaps you’ll also find the Thanksgiving Address an incredible practice of gratitude and portal through which a mindful, heart-centered life can be lived. If we each invoked some version of this deep and prayerful “Greetings and Thanks” to ourselves, each other, and to all of creation, what would the world be like? I certainly plan to deepen my awareness practice around cultivating gratitude on a daily basis.

Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

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, 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, snow and ice. We are grateful that the waters are still here and meeting their responsibilities to the rest of Creation. 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 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 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.

This translation of the Mohawk version of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address was developed, published in 1993, and provided, courtesy of:
Six Nations Indian Museum and the Tracking Project
All rights reserved.