A THANKSGIVING PRAYER FROM THE IROQUOIS (SENECA) PEOPLE

Gwa! Gwa! Gwa! Now the time has come! Hear us, Lord of the Sky! We are here to speak the truth, for you do not hear lies. We are your children, Lord of the Sky.

Now begins the Gayant' gogwus. This sacred fire and sacred tobacco. And through this smoke We offer our prayers. We are your children, Lord of the Sky.

Now in the beginning of all things You provided that we inherit your creation. You said: I shall make the earth on which people shall live. And they shall look to the earth as their mother. And they shall say, "It is she who supports us." You said that we should always be thankful for our earth and for each other. So it is that we are gathered here. We are your children, Lord of the Sky.

Now again the smoke rises and again we offer prayers. You said that food should be placed beside us and it should be ours in exchange for our labor. You thought that ours should be a world where green grass of many kinds should grow. You said that some should be medicines and that one should be Ona'o the sacred food, our sister corn. You gave to her two clinging sisters beautiful Oa'geta, our sister beans and bountiful Nyo'sowane, our sister squash. The three sacred sisters; they who sustain us.

This is what you thought, Lord of the Sky. Thus did you think to provide for us. And you ordered that when the warm season comes, that we should see the return of life and remember you, and be thankful, and gather here by the sacred fire. So now again the smoke arises. We the people offer our prayers. We speak to you through the rising smoke. We are thankful, Lord of the Sky.