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This is the
famous "Thanksgiving Speech," spoken before
important gatherings of the Six Nations Iroquois
Confederacy. Each speaker gives it extempore.
This version was delivered to an audience attending the
200th Anniversary of the Treaty of Fort Stanwyx in Rome, New
York, in October 1984. Chief Powless, who has since
passed on to the Creator, delivered it in the Onandaga
language, and it is here rendered into English by his son,
Chief Irving Powless, Jr.
From the book Wisdomkeepers, by Steve Wall and Harvey
Arden
Let Us Put Our Minds Together as One
I want to greet you and ask that we put our minds together
as one and thank the Creator that we who have gathered here
are all well. It is now my duty to give thanks. . . .
The Creator has planned it this way--that, every time we
meet, whether day or night, no matter how many or how few we
are, we give thanks to Him for what He has given us.
The Creator created the Earth, our Mother Earth, and gave
her many duties, among them the duty to care for us, His
people.
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He put things
upon Mother Earth for the benefit of all. And as we
travel around today we see that our Mother Earth is still
doing her duty, and for that we are very grateful. So
let us put our minds together as one and give thanks.
And let it be that way. . . .
The Creator planted grasses and weeds on Mother Earth.
These grasses and weeds all have a name. Some of them
are medicines. And as we pass through this year we see
that the grasses and weeds are still growing. So we
are very grateful they are still here and doing their
duties. Therefore let us put our minds together as one
and give thanks to the grasses, the weeds, and the
medicines. And let it be that way. . . .
The Creator also put trees and bushes upon Mother Earth for
the benefit of all. Among the trees is the
maple. From the maple tree we gather sap from which we
make sugar and syrup. And as we pass through this year
we see that the trees and the bushes are still there doing
their duties. So let us put our minds together as one
and be grateful that the trees and the bushes are still
there. And let it be that way. . . .
The Creator put upon Mother Earth berries and plants for us
all to eat. All we have to do is pick them. The
strawberries are the first to ripen each year. If we
take the strawberry juice and drink it, it shall be a
medicine for us. And as we pass through this year we
see that the berries and plants are still doing their duties
of the benefit of all. So let us put our minds
together as one and give thanks to the berries and plants
for doing their duties. And let it be that way. . . .
The Creator put animals on the Earth. Animals give us
food. They give us clothing. They even supply us
with wampum for use in our ceremonies. The animals
also have a leader. He is called the deer. And
as we look about us and see that the animals are still here
doing their duties, we are grateful and we give
thanks. In our appreciation we put our minds together
as one. And let it be that way. . . .
The Creator also put upon Mother Earth the birds. He
gave us small birds and large birds. The birds also
have a duty. Their leader is the eagle. His duty
is to fly high and watch over us. And the smaller
birds have the duty to sing to us and also provide us with
food. And as we look about us, let us give thanks to
the birds, for they are still here doing their duties.
They never tire and say, "I'm not going to do my duty
anymore." And for that we are very
grateful. So let us put our minds together as one and
thank the birds. And let it be that way. . . .
The Creator gave us life-giving foods. All we have to
do is to plant seeds into Mother Earth and she will make
them grow. This summer we've done this again, and the
plants grew. And for this we are very grateful.
So let us all put our minds together as one and give thanks
to the foods that nourish us. And let our minds be
that way. . . .
The Creator gave us the wind. He makes sure it usually
comes as a breeze, but every now and then He lets it come as
a hurricane. That's to remind the people that they do
not control the earth. And, as we see, the wind is
still doing its duty. And for this we are
grateful. So let us all put our minds together and
give thanks to the wind. And let our minds be that
way. . . .
The Creator, after He created all of these things, said,
"There needs to be more! So He created the
Thunderers, our Grandfathers. It shall be their duty
to moisten and freshen the springs to replenish the fresh
water that we drink. Last night I heard their
thundering voices again. So we see that the Thunderers
are still doing their duties. And for this we are very
grateful So let us all put our minds together as one
and give thanks to the thundering voices. And let our
minds be that way. . . .
The Creator gave us the sun, our elder brother. It's
his duty to give us warmth and to nourish the life-giving
foods that were planted on earth. And, as we see, the
sun came up this morning and shines on us, keeping us
warm. He's doing his duty. And for this we are
very grateful. So let us all put our minds together as
one and thank the sun for still performing his duty.
And let our minds be that way. . . .
The Creator said we will have daylight and we will have
darkness. The darkness will be for sleep and
rest. But you will also have a night-sun which you
will call the moon. The moon will be your
Grandmother. And she will have special duties
also. She will give moisture to dampen the land at
night. She will also move the tides. Along with
the moon there will be stars. The stars help give us
directions when we travel and, along with Grandmother Moon,
tell us when we should begin our ceremonies. The moon
and the stars were put there for these purposes. And
we see, last night, that the moon and the stars are still
here doing their duties. And for this we are very
grateful. So, in our appreciation, let us all put our
minds together as one and give thanks to the stars and the
moon. And let our minds be that way. . . .
As the Creator looked over what he had created, He saw that
many things could hurt our people, that many obstacles stood
in our way. So He sent us four Protectors, four beings
like angels who watch over us and help us when we need
it. Often it happens that we find ourselves in
dangerous situations. Then, somehow, we get out of it
and it was only a close call. That's because the four
Protectors are still watching over us and helping us.
And for that we are very grateful. So we put our minds
together as one and we thank the four Protectors for doing
their duty. And let our minds be that way. . . .
Two centuries ago the Creator saw that we were wandering
from our ways because of the changes the White Man had
brought. So He sent us a Message through a chief named
Handsome Lake. His duty was to lead us back onto the
Creator's path. Today his Message to us is still heard
in our Longhouse. We remember every word. And we
are very grateful for that. So let us all put our
minds together as one and thank Handsome Lake for doing his
duty. And let our minds be that way. . . .
When the Creator created us, He used a part of His heart in
each one of us. And He wants his heart to return to
Him. So each day and each night He sends down His love
to us. And He asks that we carry out the duties that
we were directed to perform. And for this we are very
grateful. So let us put our minds together as one and
try to be the people that He wants us to be. And let
it be that way. . . .
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The promise
Creator gives us
Comes with every new day,
The gift of breath, the gift of life,
Opportunities in a vast array.
How do we count our blessings,
Through the choices life can bring?
Is it through joyful lessons?
Or the fears to which we cling?
Are we learning to show gratitude,
For the victories over human pain?
By honoring the feeling choices,
We grasp the will we've regained.
Can we change our focus,
With no need to defend?
Acknowledging joy and sorrow,
Without judging foe or friend?
Tomorrow promises the fullness
Of every human way to know:
How we master each challenge
Determines our balance -
reflecting how we grow.
The Promise of Tomorrow
Jamie Sams
"Earth Medicine" |
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