Haudenosaunee thanksgiving address analysis The Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen: Words Before All Else These traditional Native American words of thanksgiving come from the people of the Six Nations — the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora — also known as the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee (People of the Longhouse), who live in upstate New York, Wisconsin and Canada Nov 23, 2021 · Today, we revisit a 2019 episode on the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World, also called, in Mohawk, Ohénten Kariwatékwen: Words Before All Else. The address follows in full. Today we bring our minds together as one as we greet and thank all wonders of Nature. The Haudenosaunee Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Greetings to the Natural World The People Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. The Ecology and History of Onondaga Lake: Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address as a pathway to stewardship education in the Onondaga Lake Watershed. As I was reading the book Braiding Sweetgrass the author shared this Thanksgiving Address, inviting the readers to imagine if this was our daily prayer to th The Thanksgiving Address begins every formal gathering of the Haudenosaunee people. Nov 22, 2023 · The religious and cultural dimensions of Haudenosaunee life call for giving thanks each and everyday. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give our greetings and our thanks to one another as people. The People Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. The Haudenosaunee peoples open and close every social and religious meeting with the Thanksgiving Address; it is also recited daily as a sunrise prayer, and is an ancient message of peace and appreciation of Mother Earth and of her inhabitants. Nov 28, 2023 · The Indigenous Values Initiative is a wonderful resource with a curriculum on the Thanksgiving Address exploring Haudenosaunee and scientific perspectives. pdf - 2 Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Greetings to the Natural World The Food Plants With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. The thanksgiving address is an Haudenosaunee oral tradition that gives gratitude to a number of significant entities of the environment and is delivered at the beginning and end of important meetings; two of these elements are the thunderers and four winds. The National Museum of the American Indian has shared the spirit of thankfulness with this version of a Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address (credit information follows the text)—sentiments suitable for sharing today, and every day: Greetings to the Natural World Jul 7, 2020 · The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Greetings to the Natural World (PDF) Haudenosaunee Guide for Educators (PDF) Corn Tastes Better on the Honor System – Robin Wall Kimmerer (Emergence Magazine article) Nature Needs a New Pronoun – Robin Wall Kimmerer (article) In the Mohawk language, "Thanksgiving Address" is translated as Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen, meaning "Words Before All Else" or "Words we say before we do anything important. The Address expresses gratitude for the oldest and most ancient elements in our life -- the earth, the sun, the moon, the winds, the water, etc. It is also said as a daily sunrise prayer, and is an ancient message of peace and appreciation of Mother Earth and her inhabitants. History students were earning high school and college credits These words of Thanksgiving were a gift from our Haudenosaunee ancestors, many of whom helped bring about the Great Law of Peace. Oct 13, 2025 · The Thanksgiving Address, or “The Words that Come Before All Else,” is delivered in Native Haudenosaunee languages at both the beginning & the end of social gatherings, celebrations, and council meetings; and it is recited each morning at the beginning of the school day. Discover 'Greetings and Thanks (Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address)' by Parker Millsap, set at 97 BPM and in E Major. This assignment was used for a Dual Enrollment United States History class, where 11th Grade U. com Haudenosaunee tradition teaches us that peace requires gratitude. Thanksgiving Address - Greetings to the Natural World Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen - Words Before All Else Produced by Native Self-Sufficiency Canter, Six Nations Indian Museum, Tracking Project and Tree of Peace Society. As summarized by educator-activist Sarah Sunshine Manning : Pilgrims came to America, Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address This Thanksgiving address was used by the six nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) to open and close major gatherings or meetings. W. Overview Students explore the Haudenosaunee or a local Indigenous Thanksgiving Address as an introduction to a variety of grade-appropriate development activities and units (see links below). We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living beings. Nov 25, 2021 · This Thanksgiving address was used by the six nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) to open and close major gatherings or meetings. As it names and thanks the individuals that populate Earth’s ecosystems, the Thanksgiving Address fosters a community of gratitude and reciprocity. Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address – 1 The People Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. Join Dr. Together, the provocation and development activities allow students to explore broad questions such as: • How is life interconnected? The Kanyenkehàka Gan-yeh-ga-ha-ga open all important meetings and gatherings with the Thanksgiving Address. In the address, each verse ends with “Now our minds are one. The Haudenosaunee are Native Nations whose original homeland is in New York State. Viewers will hear personal reflections from practitioners and observers to Photo by A. In ‘Allegiance to Gratitude’ (pp. I In introducing the Thanksgiving Address to a University of Toronto class in 2019, Chandra said “this is the real land acknowledgement for the Haudenosaunee people. " It has been used for thousands of years by the Haudenosaunee (People of the Long House) as a spiritual address to the powers of the Natural World, expressing appreciation for all life forms, bringing the minds of people These traditional Native American words of thanksgiving come from the people of the Six Nations — the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora — also known as the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee, who live in upstate New York, Wisconsin and Canada. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address The Words That Come Before All Else Today we have gathered and when we look upon the faces around us, we see that the cycles of life continue. Braiding Sweetgrass is a combination of memoir, science writing, and Indigenous American philosophy and history. Sometimes referred to as “the words that come before all else,” this address is spoken at community gatherings, ceremonies, and even at some schools to start the day. The Thanksgiving Address is an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) expression of gratitude that acknowledges connection to all beings. Building off one of the two videos listed below, talk about important points: e. Montgomery Hill (Beaver Clan, Tuscarora Nation) as he introduces the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Learn about the Thanksgiving Address, words that have guided Haudenosaunee people for thousands of years. 2 Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Greetings to the Natural World The Food Plants With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Ohé:ton Karihwatéhkwen (before, the matter that is set down), Thanksgiving Address, Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations, Kenien’kéha or Mohawk language, greetings, thankfulness, one mind, our sustenance, four directions, grandfathers, grandmother, elder brother, Handsome Lake, four beings, creator, land acknowledgement. Spoken as a spiritual address to the powers of the natural world, these words are used to open gatherings in order to bring the minds of Introduction Thanksgiving Address is used to open and close every social and religious meeting for the Haudenosaunee (h oh - D EE - n oh - SH oh - n ee)—also known as the Iroquois (ee·ruh·kwaa) Confederacy or Six Nations. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the U. The words express thanks for fellow human beings, Mother Earth, the moon, stars, sun, water, air, winds, animals, and more. Nov 24, 2011 · A gift from the Haudenosaunee People (The Iroquois Nation), words of Thanksgiving with roots dating back to when the Peacemaker brought the Great Law of Peace. Ann Gray, DW, recited the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address as a part of her presentation during Wisdom Conversations (11/2/24). They open and close major gatherings or meetings using a traditional Thanksgiving Address, which can also be used individually at the start or end of the day. We have been given the duty and responsibility to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. A shortened Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address offered in various languages, with the original in Onondaga included , published by the Tracking Project. g. Central to the Four Directions Youth Project is the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Thanksgiving Address, a recitation performed at many gatherings which offers a meaningful, respectful greeting to the natural world. Nov 27, 2021 · Give Thanks: The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Nov 27, 2021, 03:59 PM Throughout November and December, Nonotuck will be honoring Native American Heritage Month. Mar 22, 2025 · The Waters – We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Nov 24, 2022 · It’s a greeting of gratitude, not just giving thanks once a year, but each and every day. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water. You can expand on each part as much or as liMle as you like. Deeply embedded in the cultural and spiritual practices of the Haudenosaunee people (Iroquois Confederacy Thanksgiving Address or Words That Come Before All Else Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address or Words That Come Before All Else Greetings to the Natural World The People Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. , that the Thanksgiving Address is the most important part of the Haudenosaunee culture, it is giving thanksgiving to the natural environment, our relationship to the universe, it lets us bring our minds together, it reminds us we are dependent on all of nature, etc. The Haudenosaunee open and close every social and religious meeting with the Thanksgiving Address. The address is known to have existed at the latest since the formation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy—perhaps around 1451—when its ritual use was established by the Peacemaker, but it was likely passed down through oral tradition for untold centuries before Nov 26, 2020 · Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World “The Thanksgiving Address (the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) is the central prayer and invocation for the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations — Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora). It reflects their relationship of giving thanks for life and the world around them. Oct 31, 2024 · Katsitsionni Fox delivers the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving address at TEDxTupper Lake at the Wild Center. Army War College, the U. The Thanksgiving Address (the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) is a traditional address of gratitude for the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations — Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora). She uses verbal irony to create pathos in defense of practicing gratitude: My own students profess to cherish the opportunity to share this experience of the Thanksgiving Address, and yet it never fails that one or a few comment that it goes on too long While the Thanksgiving Address follows a traditional form, Swamp notes that there is no official text and that it’s customary for those chosen to deliver the address at the opening and closing of Haudenosaunee ceremonial and governmental gatherings to personalize it in their own words. Aug 4, 2020 · In introducing the Thanksgiving Address to a University of Toronto class in 2019, Chandra said “this is the real land acknowledgement for the Haudenosaunee people. We propose a critical rethinking of the practice of land acknowledgements by sharing the Find and save ideas about haudenosaunee thanksgiving address on Pinterest. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address designed for the reading level of children with colorful illustrations by the Tuscarora painter, Irwin Printup, Jr. Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World English version: John Stokes and Kanawahienton (David Benedict, Turtle Clan/Mohawk) Mohawk version: Rokw During our Thanksgiving Potluck earlier this month, we began by listening to a reading of this wonderful address brought to us by the Haudenosaunee Nation. , Why would Nov 22, 2023 · To hear the the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address spoken in Mohawk follow this link with the recitation beginning at approximately 01:55 in the embedded video at the top of the page. Even today, Haudenosaunee peoples from across the Confederacy still honor that tradition without any hesitation by extending gratitude to the natural world for all that remains, including land, life, and language. The Thanksgiving Address can be properly recited in any of the six Haudenosaunee languages: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, or Tuscarora. In it, the speaker and listeners acknowledge the critical importance of earth, sun, water, birds, fish, medicinal plants, and other natural phenomena, including people, and affirm a relationship of gratitude and obligation to them all. S. Feb 20, 2019 · The Thanksgiving Address belongs to the six tribes of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois, Confederacy – Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, and others. This speech is about being thankful to everything around us for giving us the gifts we need to live and the importance of peace. Nov 22, 2022 · The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address is a communal act of gratitude that six Native American nations have practiced daily for centuries. We know its power in many forms- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. We are to be thankful for the living world. Because this ritual is so skillful and important, the Haudenosaunee, out of their loving generosity, have given it to all of the people of the world to use. We will be The Thanksgiving Address known as the Ohén:tonKarihwatéhkwenor “words that come before all else”. Army, or the Department of Defense. Nov 4, 2024 · The Haudenosaunee open and close every meeting with the Thanksgiving Address. We will have many opportunities for learning, connecting, reflecting, and celebrating, and will be diving into Native American history and culture as well as many of the issues that Indigenous People face today. Find tempo, musical key, and other details to enhance your listening experience. In Chapter 11, Kimmerer describes the impatience she has noticed among non-Native people when reciting the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Nov 29, 2021 · When we did a round-robin reading of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address at the end of our pre-Thanksgiving class, I was moved to combine it with my photos. The Thanksgiving Address, or Gano:nyok, serves as a daily reminder to appreciate and acknowledge all things. Jeanne wished there was a way to put Haudenosaunee core teachings back into their daily lives. Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address This activity will encourage students and teachers to focus their attention on our natural environment and to be aware of what is contributing to our wellbeing. When we Aug 29, 2017 · The ritual is also known as the “Thanksgiving Address” because it helps the participants appreciate their interdependence with, and feel connected to, the web of life. –Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address There are a number of written and oral accounts of the harvest feast shared by colonists and members of the Wampanoag Nation in Plymouth in 1621. Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address This exhibit space celebrates the past, present, and future of the indigenous people who have made their homes in the Adirondacks for thousands of years. Used to open and close meetings, The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address is a ritual which expresses human beings’ recognition of their place on the Earth and all the beings that sustain life. The Onondaga ("Hill Place") people are one of the original five constituent nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in northeast North America. Kimmerer describes the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, a traditional oratory designed to unite an audience in gratitude for the gifts of the Earth. The Earlier in the month, Sr. Through experiential education and Haudenosaunee leadership, both Onkwehon:we and non-Onkwehon:we youth learned to value the original instructions, build relationships, and address the challenges of decolonization in an increasingly uncertain world. This video is designed to be integrated into New York State 4th Grade Social 4 days ago · We will be using the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address to help us pay grateful attention to the gifts of creation that surround us and of which we are a vital part. The opening is done at the beginning and then the closing is done at the end of the gathering. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address or the Words that Come Before All Else reminds us of the responsibility, respect, and reciprocity between Indigenous peoples, Mother Earth, and all living beings. The following address of thanksgiving, or Ganö:nyök, has been described as instructions of attaining peace through gratitude to all life that was given by the Creator at the beginning of Turtle Island. Nov 27, 2014 · They are appropriate every day, including the day called Thanksgiving. This will be a participation reflection! Can’t wait to share gratitude stories! See the UUConnect for the service logon information or click on November 16 in the calendar. The Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois nations, have what’s commonly … The Thanksgiving address, also known as the Kanehelatúksla, and is done before we conduct any of our duties or any business that day. The children learn that, according to Native American tradition, people everywhere are embraced as family. Rather than a prayer or pledge, the address is a way to call forth gratitude and is considered helpful in a political sense. Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Greetings to the Natural World er Beings, The Sun, The Moon, The Stars, The Enlightened Teachers, and finally, The Cr The Thanksgiving Address is a giB from the Haudenosaunee people through the late chief Jake Swamp. There is a lot of consistency regarding the historical Oct 20, 2025 · The Onondaga ("Hill Place") people are one of the original five constituent nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in northeast North America. Nov 22, 2018 · “Words Spoken Before All Others,” the Ohenten Kariwatekwen or Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address When the museum asked Native Americans if their families celebrate Thanksgiving, a friend from Nov 19, 2024 · The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address brings gratitude and respect for all beings and reminds us of the deep relationships and of our interbeing. Our relationship to the Earth is the basis of our The spirit of the Thanksgiving Address can be felt throughout Akwesasne in how people live their lives, interact with each other and conduct business. " Here is a selection of videos, showing Iroquois views on the true meaning of thanks-giving and their Thanksgiving Address. As part of the practice of Lectio Divina, you’ll read excerpts from the Haudenosaunee’s Thanksgiving Addres three times, pausing to answer the questions (below) between each reading. Representatives from the Onondaga Nation talk about the history of the Address and how the Address changes depending on who is saying it. Ericson Thanksgiving Address. These words of thanksgiving come to us from the Native people known as the Haudenosaunee (also Iroquoi Nov 25, 2013 · With the American holiday of Thanksgiving just a couple of days away, I wanted to share this beautiful piece of history with you. Nov 24, 2022 · This We Conspire article explores gratitude through the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World. Ask questions to the students, e. The book opens with a retelling of the Haudenosaunee creation story, in which Skywoman falls to earth and is aided by the animals to create a new land called Turtle Island. The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, known in Kanien'kéha as Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen, or “The Words That Come Before All Else,” is a profound expression of gratitude and respect for the natural world. We say this before we start our ceremonies or anything that has to do with our culture or community gatherings. Educator & Series Haudenosaunee people give thanks everyday, not just once a year. We speak these words of Tha Nov 6, 2022 · Also known as the Thanksgiving Address, it is a greeting to the natural world and referred to as “the words that come before all others. It is a Haudenosaunee practice for clarity that can be heard during formal settings, such as ceremonies and significant events, but it is also said every morning when the sun rises to acknowledge all that was created, to send gratitude, and to continue to live with a good mind. Robin Wall Kimmerer explains how this story informs the Indigenous attitude towards the land itself: human Nov 12, 2023 · The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address is an ancient message of peace and appreciation of Mother Earth and her inhabitants. ” It goes beyond a rote naming of Indigenous groups to reflecting a world view that both greets and give thanks to all elements of nature, making connections with all our relations. The prayer was also sometimes used individually at the beginning or end of the day. This version of the Thanksgiving Address is a short one in which some culturally specifi c details have been omitted in order to make it more accessible to non- Haudenosaunee readers. Members of the University at Albany’s Indigenous Students Association read the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Oct 30, 2021 · The Thanksgiving Address, or “The Words that Come Before All Else,” is delivered in Native Haudenosaunee languages at both the beginning & the end of social gatherings, celebrations, and council meetings; and it is recited each morning at the beginning of the school day. Water is life. Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Greetings to the Natural World The People Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. ” It goes beyond a rote naming of Indigenous groups to reflecting a world view that both greets and gives thanks to all elements of nature, making connections with all our relations. This is a short version of the Thanksgiving Address. This video, filmed on location at the Onondaga Nation School in Onondaga Nation, focuses on the purpose and uses of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Giving Thanks Daily Published November 17, 2011 By Partnership “We are thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life”. It’s spoken before tribal meetings of all types and sizes. As much a prayer of mindfulness as a way to bring everyone in a group seHng to become present it is a beauful way to express gratude. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people. Listen in as children from Akwesasne give the Address in Mohawk and English. The Gano:nyok reinforces the connection that people have to the world around them. Photo Description: Captioned -1914 The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address expresses a culture of gratitude, the enduring consciousness that Earth continually gifts us with beauty and abundance. It's supposed to be shared, otherwise how can it work? We've been waiting for five hundred years Indigenous nations faced with the many threats to the continuing vitality of the earth. The Thanksgiving Address (literally”the words before all else”) came to mind, as these words best express the importance of living in harmony with the natural world. The program was part of the TEDx program, run by the nonprofit organization TED, where individuals and organizations around the world with the intention of sharing ideas and inspiring new ones. Download haudenosaunee-thanksgiving-address-smithsonian. Stokes, John, and Dan Thompson. May 31, 2023 · The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of the book Braiding Sweetgrass was repeatedly told by Haudenosaunee people that the words of the Thanksgiving Address were their gift to the world, and were meant to be shared. Thanksgiving Address Ganonhanyonh (Words that Come Before All Else): Haudenosaunee Greetings to the Natural World “Haudenosaunee leaders begin the journey with the Thanksgiving Address” by Syracuse Peace Council via flickr. Need help with Chapter 11 in Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass? Check out our revolutionary side-by-side summary and analysis. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. Nov 22, 2016 · It reflects their relationship of giving thanks for life and the world around them. Oct 14, 2025 · This week, we will pause as we continue our reflections following Indigenous People’s Day by listening to the gifts of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. This expression of gratitude is recited by the Haudenosaunee at community gatherings throughout the year. ) These traditional Native American words of thanksgiving come from the people of the Six Nations — the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora — also known as the Iroquois or Haudenosaunee, who live in upstate New York, Wisconsin and Canada. (You can purchase the Strong Readers Kanyen'keha:ka Series book set, at Strong Nations online bookstore. This chapter argues that a Jennifer Wemigwans and Lanna MacKay Abstract This article ofers a concrete example of how engagement with the Haudenosaunee Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen (Thanksgiving Address) provides foundational Indigenous knowledge education for elementary school age children at the Jackman Institute for Child Studies. ” This final phrase of each section helps join people together in a common goal. ” Each verse ends with “Now our minds are one,” helping to join people together in a common goal. 18 beads follow each part of the address. 2 Our congregation presents a translation of the Mohawk version of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, which was developed, published in 1993, and provided A concise exploration of a foundational Haudenosaunee ceremony that centers gratitude and reciprocal relationships. Now our minds are one. Nov 18, 2020 · These are the words that would be recited before all else when men would get together for whatever reason in the first nation for my part of the country. The Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy, consist of six nations. Th This Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address unit *** CAN BE USED AS A STAND ALONE UNIT *** as well as a book companion to, The Thanksgiving Address Strong Stories: Kanyen'keha:ka Series written by Michelle Corneau and published By Strong Nations. When Kimmerer asked the Onondaga Faithkeeper Oren Lyons about sharing the Thanksgiving Address in her book, he said, "Of course you should write about it. 64-72), Kimmerer introduces the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address used by the indigenous people to give thanks to the land. Nov 23, 2016 · Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, my childhood was steeped in the whitewashed origin story of Thanksgiving. We were delighted to share such a The following is a primary source analysis assignment that asks students to read carefully and think more deeply about a specific document. A beautiful video exploring aspects of the Thanksgiving Address and the ways that the Haudenosaunee give thanks to the different elements of the environment. The Kanyenkehàka is one of Six Nations that together are the Haudenosaunee. Portions of this address are introduced in this guide. pqoo vwsyubp mjvy eowbb qgjmmbh gueb ffiri ebvnp dun tlajwq lzzx ntfca aie jaq cckbrx