An Iroquois “Thanksgiving” Prayer

Avant de commencer le repas de Thanksgiving à l’eglise, nous avons lu ensemble cette prière.

An Iroquois “Thanksgiving” Prayer

The People
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as People.
Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our Mother, we send greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.

The Waters

We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms – waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of water.
Now our minds are one.

The Fish

We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as good. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.

The Plants

Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.
Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them, too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting and thanks.
Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs

Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning, they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.
Now our minds are one.

The Animals

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We see them near our homes and in the deep rests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.
Now our minds are one.

The Trees

We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many cultures use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength.

With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.
Now our minds are one.

The Birds

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds – from the smallest to the largest – we send our joyful greetings and thanks.
Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds

We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing messages and strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.
Now our minds are one.

The Thunder

Now we turn to the west where our Grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightening and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.
Now our minds are one.

The Sun

We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.
Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon

We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night sky. She is the leader of women all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. Her changing face measures time, she watches the arrival of Earth’s children.

We greet and thank Grandmother, the Moon.

Now our minds are one.

The Stars

We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home.

With our minds gathered as one, we send greetings and thanks to all the Stars.
Now our minds are one.

The Enlightened Teachers

We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people.

With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring Teachers.
Now our minds are one.

The Creator

To the Creator, Great Spirit of all, we send greetings and thanks for all these gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our sincere words of thanks to the Creator. For sending his only Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ as sacrifice for us and bringing us back into relationships with Him, we give thanks. For the Holy Spirit which is the Creator’s presence with us wherever we go, our teacher and our comforter, we give thanks.
Now our minds are one.

Fast or Feast ?

Autrement dit, jeûne ou fête?

A l’origine, explique M.J. Steffey dans le Time magazine, Thanksgiving devait se célébrer dans le dépouillement. Les colons de Plymouth Rock, empreints de dévotions, reconnaissants à Dieu de ne pas avoir été emportés par la maladie ou morts de faim comme un grand nombre de leurs compagnons, entendaient exprimer leur gratitude à leur façon habituelle : prière et jeûne.

Mais les Indiens Wampanoag, qui se sont joints aux pèlerins pour leur célébration, ont apporté leurs propres traditions - danses, jeux et repas plantureux. Eux avaient coutume d’organiser une fête appelée Nickommoh, un mot qui signifie «donner» ou «échanger».

De nos jours, si certains Natifs refusent ostensiblement de célébrer Thanksgiving, («de quoi pourrions-nous être reconnaissants de l’arrivée des Européens» disent-ils en substance) toutes les familles Natives que je connais aiment se retrouver en famille et partager leurs souvenirs autour d’un repas abondant – activités typiquement Natives.

Le National Museum of the American Indian a diffusé un document très bien fait sur Thanksgiving vu selon une perspective Native, avec de nombreux exemples de célébrations traditionnelles dans différentes tribus, disponible en suivant ce lien.

http://www.nmai.si.edu/education/files/thanksgiving_poster.pdf

Cela n’empêche pas certains de lancer des boutades un peu grinçantes, tel notre ami Buddy, pasteur Natif presbytérien qui habite le Nouveau Mexique, et qui a écrit sur sa page Facebook : «j’ai célébré Thanksgiving à l’ancienne. J’ai invité tous mes voisins pour un grand festin, ensuite je les ai tués et je me suis emparé de leurs terres ».

Le retour du monstre froid.

Eh oui, déjà un an… En novembre 2008, j’avais eu l’occasion de raconter les origines et l’extraordinaire importance pour les américains de Thanksgiving, la grande fête de la gratitude, où on se retrouve en famille ou entre amis autour d’une dinde rôtie.

Thanksgiving a toujours lieu le quatrième jeudi de novembre.
Ce qui nécessite donc de se coltiner une fois de plus avec une dinde…
J’en parle avec une certaine distance parce que c’est fait, j’ai affronté l’animal. Notre eglise organise régulièrement des «potlucks», repas pris en commun le dimanche après le culte, où chacun participe au menu. A Thanksgiving, ce repas a lieu le dimanche qui précède Thanksgiving – dimanche dernier donc - et j’apportais une des dindes.
Je commence à etre rodée de ce coté là. Comme l’an dernier, j’ai évité d’avoir à affronter une dinde congelée – un lourd bloc de glace difficile à manier et dont la décongélation prend des jours. Une dinde réfrigérée, c’est largement suffisant à affronter.

Congélation ou pas, les intérieurs d’un volatile de 22 livres qui sort du frigidaire restent froidement inhospitaliers quand il faut les explorer pour en extraire cou et gésiers…
Hier, le jour dit de Thanksgiving, nous étions invités chez des amis, et nous nous sommes contentés, non sans déplaisir, d’apporter un dessert et un plat de patates douces, un des accompagnements habituels de ce repas traditionnel.

Une page Facebook pour l’église

Depuis quelques mois, j’ai une page sur Facebook et c’est une joie quotidienne que d’avoir des nouvelles, de loin en loin, d’amis de France, de camarades de fac, que je les ai connus à Paris ou à Dubuque. Communiquer de cette façon informelle et fréquente avec des femmes pasteurs de la région permet aussi d’apprendre et de partager le quotidien de nos différentes congrégations et de mieux se connaitre.

En septembre, Irvin et moi avons aussi créé une page Facebook pour l’église. Quelques uns de nos paroissiens sont sur Facebook. Ils nous ont rejoints sur la page, ainsi que les membres de leur famille, même éloignée, ainsi que des amis, et leurs amis… Les amis et la famille française sont aussi au nombre des amis de la Church of the Indian Fellowship. Ah, les joies du partage qu’offre la merveilleuse toile internet…

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