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Thanksgiving Address

Words Before All Else

Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen

Today we are gathered and
we see that the cycles of life continue.
We have been given the duty
to live in balance and harmony with each other
and all living things.
So now, we bring our minds together as one
as we give greetings and thanks
to each other as People.
Now our minds are one.

We are thankful to our Mother, the Earth.
Now our minds are one.

We give thanks to all the waters of the world.
Now our minds are one.

We send our greetings and thanks
to all the fish life in the water.
Now our minds are one.

Now we turn our thanks
to the vast fields of Plant life.
Now our minds are one.

We honour and thank the Three Sisters,
Our Sustenance, corn, beans, and squash.
Now our minds are one.

We send greetings and thanks to the Medicine plants.
Now our minds are one.

With one mind we greet and thank the Tree life.
We send our joyful greetings to the Birds.
Now our minds are one.

We are thankful
to the powers we know as the Four Winds.
Now our minds are one.

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

We send greetings and thanks
to our Eldest Brother, the Sun.
Now our minds are one.
We give thanks
to our eldest Grandmother, the Moon.
Now our minds are one.

We give thanks to the Stars next.
We give thanks and greet the Enlightened Teachers
who have come to us down through the ages.
Now our minds are one.

Now we turn our thoughts to the Creator,
the Great Spirit,
for everything we need to live a good life
is here on this Mother Earth.
And so our finest greetings
and deepest thanks go here.
This is the end of our words.
Now our minds are one.

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"When the Stars revolve about the North Pole, they are longing for our growing consciousness"

Jeleuddin Rumi 13th c. Sufi poet