A THANKSGIVING PRAYER FROM THE WAMPANOAG.
Gwa! Gwa! Gwa!
Now the time has come! Hear us, Lord of the Sky!
We are here to speak the truth, for you do not hear
lies,
We are your children, Lord of the Sky.
Now begins the Gayant' gogwus
This sacred fire and sacred tobacco
And through this smoke We offer our prayers
We are your children, Lord of the Sky.
Now in the beginning of all things
You provided that we inherit your creation
You said: I shall make the earth on which people shall
live
And they shall look to the earth as their mother
And they shall say, "It is she who supports
us."
You said that we should always be thankful
For our earth and for each other
So it is that we are gathered here
We are your children, Lord of the Sky.
Now again the smoke rises And again we offer prayers
You said that food should be placed beside us
And it should be ours in exchange for our labor.
You thought that ours should be a world
where green grass of many kinds should grow
You said that some should be medicines
And that one should be Ona'o the sacred food, our sister
corn
You gave to her two clinging sisters beautiful
Oa'geta,our sister beans
and bountiful Nyo'sowane, our sister squash
The three sacred sisters; they who sustain us.
This is what you thought, Lord of the Sky.
Thus did you think to provide for us
And you ordered that when the warm season comes,
That we should see the return of life
And remember you, and be thankful,
and gather here by the sacred fire.
So now again the smoke arises
We the people offer our prayers
We speak to you through the rising smoke
We are thankful, Lord of the Sky.
(Liberally translated) Chuck Larsen,
