Ganoñhéñ·nyoñ’ – Thanksgiving Address
When we gather, it is our duty to give thanks with these words before anything else. We then will give thanks to the people gathered here. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the People.
We are happy that our Creator has planted all that we need to survive on our Mother. We are thankful that she continues her duty. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to our Mother Earth.
We are happy that our Creator has planted medicines for us. When the air is warm we are thankful that they returned and continued their duty. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Medicines.
We are happy that our Creator has planted trees. The tress have a leader, it is the maple tree. We are thankful that when the air begins to turn warm we are able to drink its medicine. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Trees.
We are happy that our Creator has planted fruits and berries. The berries have a leader, it is the strawberry. We are thankful that the strawberry is the first to grow closest to our Mother. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Berries.
We are happy that our Creator has left the free animals. The animals have a leader, it is the deer. We are thankful that the animals are still running in the woods. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Animals.
We are happy that our Creator has left the winged animals. The birds have a leader, it is the eagle. We are thankful that in the morning we are able to hear their sweet songs. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Birds.
We are happy that our Creator has left streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. The water sustains us and we are happy that it still springs from our Mother. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Water.
We are happy that our Creator has left us life giving food to sustain us to keep us happy. We are happy that when the weather is warm, our sisters have returned to sustain us. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Life Giving Food.
We are happy for the winds. The winds bring us fresh air and the seasons. We are very thankful that the winds remain calm. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Wind.
We are happy for our grandfathers, the thundering voices. The thundering voices bring the rain and washes our Mother and renews the waters. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Thundering Voices.
Today started nice and bright. We are very thankful that our elder brother the sun continues his duty in keeping us warm. We kindly put our minds as one and give thanks to the Elder Brother the Sun.
Our Creator has placed in the nighttime sky our grandmother the moon and the stars. We are thankful that they are still performing their duties watering the Earth. We kindly put our minds together as one and give thanks to our Grandmother Moon and the stars.
We now give thanks to our Creator. He is patient with us and all day and night, he sends us his love. We kindly put our minds together as one and give thanks to our Creator.
* After reading the Thanksgiving Address, give the students a copy of the pie image below. Have students fill in pie grid with the different elements of the address. When filling in the grid, place the elements in a counter clockwise fashion.
* After reading the Thanksgiving Address, copy image an paste onto a document, expand image to allow two images to fit on a page. Have students write in outside ring with name of element to be thankful for from the address, the inside circle can be used to illustrate. Great for a pair or team activity.
Creation Story
https://www.onondaganation.org/creation-artwork/
Three Sisters
In the Creation Story of the Haudenosaunee, three plants; corn, beans, and squash grew from Mother Earth.
Haudenosaunee mound planting (3 sisters garden) – all three rely help each other, like sisters.
* After reading about the three sisters, copy the image for the students to illustrate. Then write all of the foods that you can eat using corn, beans and squash. Make your own three sisters garden outside!
Great Law
* After watching the Great Law, copy 5 arrows onto a sheet of paper. Students then write the names of the five nations on the arrow. Then cut them out and paste/tie together to illustrate unity.
* After watching the Great Law, copy the image of the white pine on a sheet of paper. On top of the white pine, daw an eagle on top of the Tree of Peace. Draw four roots of peace heading to the four directions. Under the Four roots, draw the weapons of war used against each other.
* Copy the image of the Hiawatha belt, color in the belt. Unter the belt, label the five nations. (hint start in the east with the Mohawks, then Oneidas, Onondagas with the Tree of Peace, the the Cayugas, then the western nation, the Seneca).
* Here is an image of the governemental structure of the Haudenosaunee.
Rule – when a speaker stands, they have the floor and cannot be inturrupted until they sit and relinguish their time.
Firekeepers – Onondaga (14 chiefs)
Older Brothers – Mohawk and Seneca (9 and 8 chiefs)
Younger Brothers – Oneida and Cayuga chiefs (9 and 10 chiefs)
Step 1 – Each bench selects one speaker (quietly).
Step 2- The Firekeepers introduce the issue/problem.
Step 3 – The Older Brothers discuss among themselves (quietly) to provide a provide a solution they are all comfortable with, their speaker sends idea/solution to Younger Brothers.
Step 4 – The Younger Brothers discuss among themselves (quietly) to see if they agree to the solution sent by the Older Brothers. If they do not agree, the Youngers will discuss to provide a new idea/solution. Their speaker sends idea/solution to Older Brothers.
Step 5 – The Older Brothers listen to the idea/solution sent by the Younger Brothers. If they disagree with the idea, they will then send a new idea/solution back to the Younger Brothers to start the process again. If they agree with the Younger Brothers, the Older Brothers send the idea/solution to the Firekeepers.
Step 6 – The Firekeepers listen and discuss the idea/solution. If they disagree with the idea/solution, they send their idea to the Older Brothers to start the process again. If the Fire Keepers agree, the speaker anounces the idea/solution and states that the Council has become “Of One Mind” and the matter is closed.
Try to solve a class problem of your own in this method.
* Here are the clans of the Haudenosaunee. Becase the women hold the leaders and the nation of the people, draw a family tree. Show that the mom and dad are different clans, but the children are the same clan of the mom.
beaver honaga·ya’gih
heron degaeñhyagáhä·’
snipe odi’nehsi·yóh
turtle hanyáhdeñh
wolf hothahyoñ·níh
bear ohgwa·ih
deer deyodijinaeñ’doñ·da’
eel ogoñde·na’
hawk degaya’dakhwa’
* Here are the nations of the Haudenosaunee, create a matching game with the terms below.
Haudenosaunee Hodinoñhshyoñ·nih People of the Longhouse
Mohawk Ganyeñ’gegá’ People of the Flint
Oneida Hadiyeñyótga·’ People of the Standing Stone
Onondaga Onoñda’gegá’ People of the Hills
Cayuga Gayo·gwéñ·ga’ People of the Swamp
Seneca Onoñdowa’gó·na People of the Large Hill
Tuscarora Hoñdasgáeyeñ Shirt wearing People
* Here are the gasdó·wä·’ or headdresses of the original 5 nations of the Haudenosaunee, Mokawks are first in the East with 3 feathers pointing upwards, Oneida 2 pointing upwards, one downward, Onondaga One pointing upward, one downward, Cayuga one pointing downward, and Seneca one pointing upward. Using the blank frame, draw your own gasdó·wä·’ of a nation you choose. note the Turcarora (not pictured) has no large eagle feather
* Read the booklet Otgoä·’ Wampum. When completed, students can draw a wampum belt, create a report, slideshow, or poster about the importance of Wampum in Haudenosaunee culture.
* Read the story about the Two Row Wampum. After reading use the image of the Two Row Wampum belt, one one side of the belt draw a canoe, the other side a ship.
One boat is the canoe with the Haudenosaunee way of life, laws, and people. The other is the Dutch ship with their laws, religion, and people in it. The boats will travel side by side down the river of life. Each nation will respect the ways of each other and will not interfere with the other. Together we will travel in Friendship and in Peace Forever; as long as the grass is green, as long as the water runs downhill, as long as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, and as long as our Mother Earth will last. – Two Row Wampum
* Read the following quote and discuss why many indigenous nations were destoyed.
The Bull stated that any land not inhabited by Christians was available to be “discovered,” claimed, and exploited by Christian rulers and declared that “the Catholic faith and the Christian religion be exalted and be everywhere increased and spread, that the health of souls be cared for and that barbarous nations be overthrown and brought to the faith itself.” Pope Nicolas V
* Read the following quote and discuss how the Haudenosaunee helped Colonists develop a new government.
“It would be a very strange thing if six ignorant savages should be capable of forming a Scheme for such a Union, and be able to execute it in such a manner, that it has subsisted for ages and appears indissoluble; and yet that that a like union should be impracticable for ten or a dozen colonies, to whom it is more necessary; and must be more advantageous; and who cannot be supposed to want an equal understanding of their interests.” – Benjamin Franklin
* Read the following book and quotes and examine the pictures to discuss how the Sullivan Campaign affected the Haudenosaunee.
“The Expedition you are appointed to command is to be directed against the hostile tribes of the Six Nations of Indians, with their associates and adherents. The immediate objects are the total destruction and devastation of their settlements, and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible. It will be essential to ruin their crops now in the ground and prevent their planting more. I would recommend, that some post in the center of the Indian Country, should be occupied with all expedition, with a sufficient quantity of provisions whence parties should be detached to lay waste all the settlements around, with instructions to do it in the most effectual manner, that the country may not be merely overrun, but destroyed.” – Gen. George Washington
“When your army entered the country of the Six Nations, we called you Hanadagá·yas -Town Destroyer: and to this day when that name is heard our women look behind them and turn pale, and our children cling close to the necks of their mothers. Our counsellors and warriors are men, and cannot be afraid; but their hearts are grieved with the fears of our women and children, and desire that it may be buried so deep as to be heard no more.” Seneca Chief Corn Planter.
located in Hector, NY
Located in Syracuse, NY (2 miles north of the Onondaga Nation)
* Read the following treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the United States. Discuss the importance of these two nations wanting peace. Make your own George Washington Belt. From the middle image of the belt with the house, use the large men (states) to create the George Washington belt. The right side of the belt has 6 large figures, the left side has 7 figures.
1794 Canandaigua Treaty
* Read the following resolution of the United States Congress acknowledding the Haudenosaunee’s role in making of the United States government. Examine the imagry on a US dollar Bill. What images are the same with the Haudenosaunee? hint – eagle, arrows, leaves (both changed from 5 to 13).
100th US Congress- Role of Haudenosaunee in forming of the United States
* Please feel free to watch the videos below of the Haudenosaunee life in the past and now.
Onondaga Nation videos