A Tradition of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday. Sure, it has straightforward traditions, from a set menu of turkey and potatoes to the ritual of going around the table. But its origins and our nation’s history can mix up our feelings about America’s most treasured meal.

One unmistakable aspect of this holiday is the way it connects us to the indigenous peoples of North America. Every grade school kid learns the story— of how the Mayflower made a November landing in modern-day Massachusetts; how the Wampanoag people saved the Pilgrims from starvation during that harsh first winter; and how they celebrated their friendship with a grand feast the following fall. It is a lovely story of hospitality that is wonderful to tell, but it is merely the beginning of a longer, more complicated history.

If you know that history well, hearing this story on Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in gratitude, can feel a bit ironic. With the horrific ways European settlers treated Native Americans in the following centuries, it doesn’t seem like the lesson about gratitude sank in. How different would our world be if gratitude for the Wampanoag people had a genuine, lasting effect on our relationship with the indigenous people who originally called these lands their home? Lacking such a history of gratitude for Native Americans, the story of the first Thanksgiving becomes another decoration on the table, nestled next to the cornucopia and turkey feathers.

Pure gratitude leads to respect, humility, and even love. Gratitude forms relationships, connection, and understanding. It is hard to ignore or mistreat another person when you are grateful for how that person has shaped your life.

At our Thanksgiving Eve service this year we spent some time reflecting on the tradition of gratitude practiced by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of nations, which includes the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples. This tradition is called the Thanksgiving Address, Greetings to the Natural World, or simply “The Words Before All Else.” Before any social gathering or meeting, people from these nations open with a lengthy litany of gratitude for the earth, plants, animals, and all that which gives and sustains life in our world. We express gratitude to God all the time. These words take it a step further by expressing gratitude directly to all that God has created.

Imagine going into a tense meeting, where emotions are high and conflict seems inevitable. But before anyone has a chance to sling a few hurtful words, everyone gathered takes five minutes to express gratitude to the world for all its life-giving splendor. Before raising your voice in anger, you raise your voice in thanksgiving for animals, forests, the sun, and even the wind. How might such a habit shift your perspective about squabbles with your family, co-workers, and neighbors? 

Take time this Thanksgiving to reflect on everything you are grateful for. Do more than simply recite one thing. If you want, you can read the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address alone or with others. https://danceforallpeople.com/haudenosaunee-thanksgiving-address/. A holiday which celebrates abundance is most meaningful when met with an equal abundance of gratitude.

Note: The Haudenosaunee People see their practice as a gift to the world, and they encourage others to modify the words to fit their own context. The version used at our Thanksgiving Eve service was indeed adjusted to be true to the makeup of our little Lutheran community in Northern Illinois. 

Peace,

Pastor Chad McKenna