As a special thanksgiving message, I am sharing an ancient prayer of the indigenous people of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy located in New York and Canada. Native Americans believed that all creatures; all things, including humans, were beings with consciousness. It seemed fitting that this passage is the perfect Thanksgiving Prayer.
Native American Thanksgiving Prayer
Today we have gathered and when we look upon the faces around us we see that the cycle of life continues. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things so now let us bring our minds together as one as we give thanks and greetings to
each other as people. Now our minds are one.
We are thankful to our mother the earth, for she gives us everything that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk upon her. It gives us joy that she still continues to care for us, just as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send Thanksgiving, love, and respect. Now our minds are one.
We give thanks to all of the waters of the world for quenching our thirst, for providing strength and nurturing life for all beings. We know it’s power in many forms: waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and ocean, snow and ice. We are grateful that the waters are still here and meeting their responsibility to the rest of creation. Can we agree that water is important to all life and bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to the water? Now our minds are one.
We turn our thoughts to all of 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 they continue to do their duties and we send to the fish our greetings and our thanks. Now our minds are one.
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 lifeforms. With our minds gather together we give thanks and look forward to seeing plant life for many generations to come. Now our minds are one….
Read the balance of this beautiful Thanksgiving Prayer here
The prayer is also included in the book: “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer