Thanksgiving Prayer from the Mohawk Nation

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thanks.>>Now our minds are one>>>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. With one>mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit Water.>>Now

our minds are one>>>We turn our minds to 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>>>Now we

turn towards 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>>>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 and thanks.>>Now our minds are one>>>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>>>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>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>>>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, other with fruit, beauty and other

useful things. Many>peoples of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and

strength. With>one mind, we greet and thank the tree of life.>>Now our minds

are one>>>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>>>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 to bring the change

of seasons. From the four directions they>come, bringing us messengers and

giving us strength. With one mind, we>send our greetings and thanks to the Four

Winds.>>Now our minds are one>>>Now we turn to the west where our Grandfathers,

the Thunder Beings, live.>With lightening and thundering voices, they bring

with them the water that>renews life. We bring our minds together as one to

send greetings and>thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunders.>>Now our minds are

one>>>We now send the 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>>>We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest

Grandmother, the>Moon, who lights the nighttime sky. She is the leader of women

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>>>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 all the Stars.>>Now our minds

are one>>>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>>>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>>>We

have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things>we have

named, it was not our intent 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

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