We return thanks to our mother, the Earth, which sustains us;
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water;
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases;
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters the beans and squashes, which give us life;
We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with fruit;
We return thanks to the wind, which moving the air has banished diseases;
We return thanks to the moon and stars, which give us their light when the sun has gone;
….We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye;
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness,
And Who directs all things for the good of His children.
~ Native American Tradition – Iraquois
Shared at our online meeting in March 2022