Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen

In recent months, I’ve been writing about what needs composting. Systems, stories, even our ways of gathering. But perhaps one of the most overlooked practices to compost is how we begin. How we arrive. How we set the tone for what follows. Because before any meaningful conversation can take place, something else is needed. A way of coming into relationship. With each other, yes, but also with the wider living world that quietly holds us.

Don’t we all struggle to find a good way to begin? A meeting starts. Someone clears their throat. “Shall we get started?” A few late arrivals slip in. Laptops open. Coffee cups settle. We move quickly into agenda mode, into content, into output. The real work, we assume, lies ahead.

But something is missing.

I have seen this again and again. In boardrooms, at international conferences, in small group retreats, in class. We gather people who care, who bring experience, insight, responsibility. And yet we often begin as if none of that needs to be acknowledged. As if we can move straight into the task without first arriving.

There are many ways to try to bridge that gap. A check in round. A moment of silence. A question. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they feel forced. Sometimes they stay at the surface.

And then there is another way.

Among the Haudenosaunee*, gatherings begin differently. They begin with what is called the Thanksgiving Address, or Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen. The Words That Come Before All Else. It is not a quick ritual. It takes time (well, not too long, only about 12 minutes). And it moves everyone in a particular direction.

From people, to the Earth, to the waters, to the plants, to the animals, to the winds, to the sun, the moon, the stars. One by one, each part of the living world is greeted and thanked. And also the winds, the sun, the moon. Each named. Each acknowledged.

And after each, a simple line: Now our minds are one.

I remember the first time I used it in a group. It felt scary, like a risk. And I was also afraid of the critique of appropriation (which I had checked beforehand, through a friend, with Chief Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Onondaga) and it is truly “open source”, to be used by all). The participants were not especially drawn to anything that might be labeled spiritual or ceremonial. Some were senior leaders. Some were sceptical by habit. But something shifted. The room settled. The pace changed. People listened differently. When we moved into the actual work, the quality of the conversation was not the same as before.

I have seen this happen many times since. And it raises a simple, perhaps even trivial, question: What if the way we begin shapes everything that follows?

Because this is not just a poetic text. It is a practice of orientation. A way of remembering where we are, and who we are in relation to everything else. A way of stepping out of the narrow frame of task and agenda, and into a wider field of attention.

In a time when so much of our work is about fixing, solving, managing, this feels almost unfamiliar. To begin with gratitude, by acknowledging dependence, by placing human conversation inside a larger living context.

There is something here that cuts across many of the themes I keep returning to. We speak of systems change. Of ecological crisis. Of the need to rethink our relationship with the Earth. But how often do we actually practice that relationship, in the smallest, most immediate moments?

A meeting is one of those moments. A classroom is one of those moments. A gathering of any kind is one of those moments. And the Thanksgiving Address suggests that these moments matter more than we think. Because if we cannot begin well, it becomes much harder to continue well.

So here is a simple invitation. Take a few minutes. Read through the Address. Slowly. Notice the movement. Notice what it includes. Notice what it assumes about the world and our place within it. And then ask yourself.

What would happen if you let your next meeting begin like this?

Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the natural world

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.

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 enlightened 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.

This translation of the Mohawk version of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address was developed, published in 1993, and provided, courtesy of: Six Nations Indian Museum and the Tracking Project All rights reserved.

Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World English version: John Stokes and Kanawahienton (David Benedict, Turtle Clan/Mohawk) Mohawk version: Rokwaho (Dan Thompson, Wolf Clan/Mohawk) Original inspiration: Tekaronianekon (Jake Swamp, Wolf Clan/Mohawk)

The Haudenosaunee, or "People of the Longhouse," are a sophisticated, democratic confederacy of six Indigenous nations (the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora) located in modern-day northeast North America. Often known as the Iroquois Confederacy, they founded one of the longest-lasting participatory democracies in the world, founded on principles of peace, unity, and a unique matrilineal system where Clan Mothers hold significant governance power.

This article is also published on Substack. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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