Thanksgiving Address – Skä•noñh

Great Law of Peace Center

(April, 2016) This video explores aspects of the Thanksgiving Address and the ways that the Haudenosaunee give thanks to the different elements of the environment. The goal is to share the Haudenosaunee perspective on being thankful, and to have the visitor reflect upon what they are thankful for, as well as to re-examine their own relationship to nature.

To read the Thanksgiving Address, see the Naraya Cultural Preservation Council’s beautifully illustrated pages.

In her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer writes:

“You can’t listen to the Thanksgiving Address without feeling wealthy. and, while expressing gratitude seems innocent enough, it is a revolutionary idea. In a consumer society, contentment is a radical proposition. Recognizing abundance rather than scarcity undermines an economy that thrives by creating unmet desires…The Thanksgiving Address reminds you that you already have everything you need… That’s good medicine for land and people alike.”