Palavras de Agradecimento Author:John Stokes, Kanawahienton The words of the Thanksgiving Address in Portuguese and Mohawk. These words of thanksgiving come to us from the Native people known as the Haudenosaunee (also Iroquois or Six Nations Ð Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora) of upstate New York and Canada. The Thanksgiving Address has ancient roots, dating back over one th... more »ousand years to the formation of the Great Law of Peace by a man called the Peacemaker, and perhaps before that. Today these words are still spoken at the opening and closing of all ceremonial and governmental gatherings held by the Six Nations. We believe that all people at one time in their history had similar words to acknowledge the works of the Creator. With this in mind, we offer these words in a written form as a way to reacquaint ourselves with this shared vision. Our version of the Thanksgiving Address has been modified for a young, general audienceÐit has been shortened and many specific references to the culture of the Six Nations have been generalized. We hope this will enhance the accessibility of the words for readers around the world. You are invitedÐencouragedÐto share in these words, that our concentrated attention might help us rediscover our balance, respect, and oneness with Nature. Now our minds are one. John Stokes