The Thanksgiving Address comes from the Haudenosaunee people, also known as the Iroquois and Six Nations. They are the Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora people of Upstate New York and Canada. 

The Address dates back more than 1,000 years, and today, these words – or a version of them – are still spoken at the opening and closing of all ceremonial and governmental gatherings held by the Six Nations. 

The Address is based on the belief that the world cannot be taken for granted and that a spiritual communication of thankfulness and acknowledgment of all living things must be given to align the minds and the hearts of people with nature. 

The above version of the Address was recorded by members of UAlbany’s Indigenous Students Association during the Spring 2024 semester.