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about

written in San Francisco, CA

The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Thanksgiving Address: Words Before All Else, Greetings and Thanks to the Natural World has been with me for many years as a basis for extending gratitude to and connecting with all the living things of this Earth. It is intended to remind us all that no matter how our paths diverge, we are coming from the same place, the same elements and spirit. I have adapted these words into song form to share this simple but comprehensive and heart-felt prayer with everyone who wishes to acknowledge all the beauty around us for which we can be thankful.

lyrics

One more time, one more time, one more time we are gathered
One more time, one more time today,
(For all the Love that's still around us)
One more time, one more time, with hearts and minds together
Let us send our Greetings and our Thanks

To Each Other as People, we see the cycles of life go on
May we always live in balance and harmony
We give thanks to our Mother the Earth, whose body we walk upon
And who gives us all that we could ever need

To the Water in all its forms from the ocean to our sink
Water is life that quenches thirst and washes us new
To the Fish who cleanse and purify the water that we drink
And who give themselves to us as our food

To the Plants upon this earth, for the wonders that they work
Absorbing and transforming the sun into life
We are grateful for those who still know how the Medicines can serve
in the Garden, in the shade, and in the light

We turn our gratitude and thanks to all of the Animals now
We are glad they are here for they have so much to teach
To the Trees for their shelter, their fruit, their beauty, and so we bow
Great symbol of strength and great symbol of peace

Now our hearts can fly with the Birds who remind us to enjoy
Soaring and singing all of our days
To the Four Winds that blow, cleaning the air, and the seasons that they employ,
To the Thundering Grandfathers whose Lightning brings change

On our knees we welcome in our eldest brother the Sun, source of fire
Every day without fail he travels the sky
Grandmother Moon, leader of women, who guides the birth of all children
Who lights up the night, marking time, and changing the tides

To the Stars that scatter across the sky, and guide us home at night
And remind us that we are oh so very small
We bow before the Enlightened Teachers who have come to share the light
How to live in harmony, reminding us all

To the Creator, Great Spirit, great thanks for the gifts of this Creation
All we need is here, and the love around us is here to stay
We have come to the end of our words, if something was forgotten
May everyone give thanks in their own ways

credits

from For Everything That's Good, released October 1, 2014
Music by Travis Knapp
Words adapted from the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address: Words Before All Else, Greetings and Thanks to the Natural World (see below)
Acoustic bass performance by Nate Silas Richardson
All other vocal and instrumental performances by Travis Knapp

Recorded and pre-mixed by Travis Knapp at Body Mind Studio in Danby, NY
Mixed and mastered by Nate Silas Richardson at REP Studio in Ithaca, NY (www.repstudio.com)

Words originally published as:
Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World
Copyright © 1993 Six Nations Indian Museum and
The Tracking Project.
ISBN 0 - 9643214 -0 -8

Contact information:
Thanksgiving Address Fund
c/o The Tracking Project
P.O. Box 266
Corrales, New Mexico 87048
U.S.A.
phone/fax 505-898-6967
www.thetrackingproject.org

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Travis Knapp Ithaca, New York

"Hopeful soul-lifting acoustic folk music rooted in pop, jazz, soul, and gospel - piano/banjo/guitar/vocals; from the fields, forests, ponds, and meadows of Ithaca, NY."

www.travisknapp.com

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