The Thanksgivings by Harriet Maxwell Converse Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer  We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we    are here to praise Him. We thank Him that He has created men and women,     and ordered that these beings shall always be     living to multiply the earth. We thank Him for making the earth and giving these     beings its products to live on. We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth     and runs for our lands. We thank Him for all the animals on the earth. We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have     fluids coming from them for us all. We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow     shadows for our shelter. We thank Him for the beings that come from the west,     the thunder and lightning that water the earth. We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest     brother, the sun that works for our good. We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees     and vines. We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests,     and thank all its trees. We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and     for the kind Being of the darkness that gives us light,     the moon. We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give     us signs, the stars. We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge     of our harvests. We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can     still be heard through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o. We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of     this pleasant occasion. We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit's music, and hope they will be privileged to     continue in his faith. We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who     perform the ceremonies on this occasion.