LET US REMEMBER TO GIVE THANKS EVERYDAY...AND SO SUSTAIN THE EARTH...WHITEFAWN STAR
THANKSGIVING GREETING TO YOU...
In fond memory of Chief Leon Shanandoah and Chief Jake Swamp...my friends and mentors.
"It is believed that as long as one person continues to give the Thanksgiving Address, the Earth will be sustained and all life will be sustained..but when we forget to be grateful for all the gifts we so freely receive, then the Earth will end as we know it"...Iroquois
THE IROQUOIS THANKSGIVING ADDRESS
"Ohenton Kariwahtekwen"
GREETINGS TO THE NATURAL WORLD
By
Chief Jake Swamp
THE PEOPLE
Today we have 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. We give thanks for our family,
friends, and fellow human beings...
Now our minds are one.
THE EARTH MOTHER
We are all thankful to
our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports
our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care
for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings
and thanks.
Now our minds are one.
THE WATERS
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 of Water.
Now our minds are one.
THE FISH
We turn our
minds to the 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.
THE PLANTS
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 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.
THE FOOD PLANTS
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 of thanks.
Now
our minds are one.
THE MEDICINE HERBS
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.
THE ANIMALS
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 are honored by them when they give up
their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our 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
THE TREES
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, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many people of
the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind,
we greet and thank the Tree life.
Now
our minds are one.
THE BIRDS
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.
THE FOUR WINDS
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 us to bring the change
of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving
us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.
Now our minds are one.
THE THUNDERERS
Now we turn to the west
where our grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering
voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We are thankful that
they keep those evil things made by Okwiseres underground. We bring our minds
together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.
Now our minds are one.
THE SUN
We now send 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.
GRANDMOTHER MOON
We put our minds together
to give thanks to our oldest Grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time
sky. She is the leader of woman 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.
THE STARS
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 the Stars.
Now
our minds are one.
THE ENLIGHTENED TEACHERS
We gather
our minds to greet and thank the 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.
THE
CREATOR
Now 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.
CLOSING WORDS..........
We have now arrived at
the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not
our intention 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. WE GIVE THANKS FOR YOU...
~Chief Jake Swamp
Former Wolf Clan sub-chief of the
Kanienkehaka (People of the Flint), Mohawk Nation. For more
than thirty years Jake Swamp had been a Mohawk sub-Chief and
representative of the Haudenosaunee, Iroquois Confederacy
which is comprised of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga,
Seneca and Tuscarora Nations. He has presented the wide
range of his experience in indigenous, environmental and
social issues in talks and programs both locally and
internationally.
Jake Swamp founded the Tree of
Peace Society in an effort to address current topics in
environmental and cultural education. The Tree of Peace
Society builds cross-cultural understanding between Native
and non-Native people, promotes environmental and social
ethics, and works tirelessly to preserve the culture and
languages of the Haudenosaunee.
***********************************************************************************************
Today
I give thanks for all the Native American and Indigenous People who
understand ancient knowledge and continue to practice the way of the
Creator's Instruction...may we all have ears to hear...
Whitefawn Star
THANKSGIVING PRAYER AND GRATITUDE BY SHANTA GABRIEL:
It is nearly Thanksgiving in the U.S., marking the official beginning of the holiday season.
Know that in this unique time of the year there is an awakening in you
of the spirit of Gratitude. It is the true essence of Thanksgiving. When
you can immerse yourself in the flow of pure Gratitude, it catalyzes
new abundance in every area of your life. Gratitude can provide a new
containment field for your heart to open into. It is a true gift for
yourself when you live in Gratitude. The power of giving thanks can help
to lift you above the appearance of disharmony so that a new life
emerges within you, opening doors to amazing possibilities you never
imagined.
Your deepest dreams are being awakened now
and your heart is being offered an opportunity to create manifestation
of your deepest Soul’s longings. When you open to these desires that
have the potential to fulfill you in massive ways, an energy begins to
work in you that you have never experienced. It is like the unlocking of the gateway to a new dimension with thanksgiving as the key.
The creation of new attitudes of thanksgiving in your life
attracts new streams of light-filled energy to bless all that is
honored in this way. When a blessing of thanksgiving is made in any
moment, it confers light-filled Divine energy upon the person who sends
it, as well as the situation being blessed. In challenging times it may
seem difficult to find something to feel grateful for. In spite of this
difficulty, one way to create a positive change in your life is to give
thanks for what you have now. You can even give thanks in advance for
what you want to create. This allows a shift in your perceptions so that
you begin to attract new beneficial energy into your life.
Gratitude is an attitude that can profoundly change your consciousness.
When you live your life in thanksgiving, it can affect your being at a
biological level, training your mind and body to live in a higher state
of health and well-being.
When you find nothing else, you can give thanks for just being alive so your soul will evolve.
It is a gift to be in a human body and your body is a miraculous
instrument. Consider the fact that you have a heart within you that
needs no conscious assistance on your part to continue beating. Remember
that you don’t have to tell your digestive system to do its work.
All of these body parts are functioning in a wondrous Divine plan of perfection.
When you turn your attention to these systems within your body, when
you begin to give thanks for the incredible processes that continue 24
hours a day within you, they will function at a higher level. Your focus
of attention with gratitude and blessings will bring more light and
strength into your vital organs. For extra energy, consider filling
these organs with a healing color such as pink or green, which brightens
them with Divine Light. For fun you can then imagine a smile on a body
part such as your liver or your heart. This will not only bless your
organs, it will lighten your mind.
Gratitude is the Attitude that will take you into your Heart
Consider the idea that your thoughts are like prayers reaching out into the Universal flow of life.
When you use your thoughts consciously, they become prayers that shift
your perspective so you can see a greater picture of what is actually
going on in your life. Prayers of gratitude are very powerful, and
stimulate an increased flow of spiritual energy into every situation.
This force can create miraculous change for good in your life. It may
take a little effort to find something to be grateful for when you are
feeling down, but prayers of thanksgiving can help create a beautiful
shift in your mind when you do so.
It is vitally important for your future to nurture compassion for yourself,
the mistakes you made as you were learning about life, and forgiveness
for the person you were in the past. Be grateful for all that you have
learned and all that you are. This act is a good beginning for a peace
filled and happy future. You can open new doors for tomorrow with your
grateful thoughts today.
No matter how it feels, you are never alone.
You are here on earth to remember your connection to the Spiritual
Presence in your life. You are meant to live a happy, abundant life with
deep fulfillment. In order to do this, it is necessary to step out of
the challenges life presents and into the flow of God’s love, which will
bring you more creative solutions. There is one place where you can
always go to feel the power of Divine Love, and that is in your heart.
Gratitude is the attitude that will take you into your heart. It does
not matter if you see nothing in your life for which to feel grateful,
just the act of giving thanks opens a door in your heart to allow Divine
Love in.
Sometimes it seems as though prayer is difficult
or there may be negative associations with organized religion from
childhood. Perhaps some suggestions for prayers of thanksgiving can be
useful. Here are some possibilities for prayers that may help you to
lift your thoughts and connect your heart to the essence of Gratitude.
You can choose one or more that resonate with you and use them as a
spiritual practice for the day. Masters suggest 21 days of a practice to
create a new habit within your brain.
A Thanksgiving Prayer
Divine Presence,
I AM grateful for the Beauty and Power of the living Earth that sustains all life and blesses all who are fortunate to live in this beautiful world. I give thanks that all beings are awakening to these gifts.
Thank you for this day. Help me to see the blessings in my life, and learn the lessons given to me to learn. Show me what I need to know in order to grow into a more kind and loving human being, and take care of my responsibilities with Grace and Ease. Help me to share the gifts you have given me in a way that adds more value to the world.
I AM grateful for the Beauty and Power of the living Earth that sustains all life and blesses all who are fortunate to live in this beautiful world. I give thanks that all beings are awakening to these gifts.
Thank you for this day. Help me to see the blessings in my life, and learn the lessons given to me to learn. Show me what I need to know in order to grow into a more kind and loving human being, and take care of my responsibilities with Grace and Ease. Help me to share the gifts you have given me in a way that adds more value to the world.
Thank
you for helping me move with great Clarity and Certainty. Thank you for
inspiring my heart centered action in every area of my life.
I
AM grateful for physical, mental and emotional Health and Well-Being. I
recognize Wellness as my most empowered attribute and it blesses every
area of my life.
Thank
you for abundant demonstrations in my bank account and the financial
ability to save, spend and support others. I AM grateful that my work
fulfills me on all levels.
Thank
you for my mind that is inspired and creative. Thank you for helping me
to be open to new ideas that can bring good into my life. Thank you for
my amazing body that is strong and flexible, and for the organs within
it that are functioning with perfection. Bless each cell and fiber of my
being so that it is filled with your Divine Light.
Thank
you for the forgiveness growing in my heart and the compassion within
me for the person I am right now. Help me to also have compassion and
understanding for others as they walk their own path in life.
I
AM thankful for the new awakenings of Love and Abundance all over the
world in the hearts of each person embodied at this time. Thank you for
helping me to live my life in Harmony and Well Being, and to be a
radiant light for Divine Love in the world.
For these and all my blessings, I say, “Thank You God.”
May
this time of Thanksgiving fill your heart with a new awakening to the
Loving Presence within all things and bless every area of your life with
pure Gratitude.
So be it. Be it so. Amen.
Shanta Gabrielfor Archangel Gabriel
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