A Prayer of Gratitude

This reverential Haudenosaunee prayer extols every aspect of nature and the benevolent will of the Great Spirit. It has been passed down for generations through the oral tradition of the Haudenosaunee people, which comprise six indigenous tribes—Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora—located in the northeastern United States and Canada. In November 2016, a recording of the prayer in the Mohawk language was created when two SYDA Foundation staff members visited Carole Ross, a respected elder and teacher in the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. To listen to the recording, click “play” on the Mohawk language page. To listen in English, click “play” directly below.

This reverential Haudenosaunee prayer extols every aspect of nature and the benevolent will of the Great Spirit. It has been passed down for generations through the oral tradition of the Haudenosaunee people, which comprise six indigenous tribes—Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora—located in the northeastern United States and Canada. In November 2016, a recording of the prayer in the Mohawk language was created when two SYDA Foundation staff members visited Carole Ross, a respected elder and teacher in the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. To listen to the recording, click “play” below.