9 The Creation Story & The Words that Come Before All Else

Before the earth existed, there was only water on the surface of the Earth. Sky Woman brought life to the world below, creating Turtle Island. She gave birth to a daughter who later had twin sons; these sons together, in a journey of feuds, went about the Earth creating everything that now exists. The mother of the twins died in birth and was given back to the Earth (Hewitt, 1903). This is why Haudenosaunee people say Yethi’nihstenha Onhwentsyakekha, “our mother, the Earth”. Within the Haudenosaunee Creation Story, it is said that we are made of clay from the Earth, who continues to sustain us (Hill, 2017). As Haudenosaunee people, we relate to many aspects of our natural world as having a familial relationship with us. These relationships are outlined within the Words that Come Before All Else, also referred to as the Thanksgiving Address. Below is a condensed English version of the Thanksgiving Address, which is said in one of the six Haudenosaunee languages at the beginning and end of important affairs. Longer versions will detail the duty of each living thing and thank them for continuing that duty, so we may continue to live.
Listen all people, here, for a while as we pass through the words that come before all other matters. We put our minds together and now let our minds be that way. We give thanks to the people. We give thanks to our mother, the Earth. We give thanks to all the waters. We give thanks to the fish. We give thanks to the plants. We give thanks to the roots. We give thanks to the medicines. We give thanks to the life sustainers (plant foods). We give thanks to the fruits. We give thanks to the animals. We give thanks to the trees. We give thanks to the birds. We give thanks to the insects. We give thanks to the thunder beings, our grandfathers. We give thanks to the four winds. We give thanks to our elder brother, the Sun. We give thanks to the stars. We give thanks to the Creator. Now then, that is how far we have gone with our words. If there is anything that has been forgotten to be mentioned, you can add to it now. Now we have opened (or closed) the day. Let our minds be that way. Those are all of the words.
All of the things the Creator made in order to sustain us are mentioned and thanked within the Thanksgiving Address. Within the Creation Story, food is a highly prevalent concept, detailing different varieties of foods and food practices, depending on the versions encountered. For example, the Creator is taught how to prepare corn for eating within the 1903 Hewitt version, told by John Arthur Gibson (Hewitt, 1903). Afterwards, he then tells his brother and grandmother the importance of food sustainability by only taking what you need. In many versions of the Creation Story, there are stories within stories, including the story of how coming to thank the life sustainers came to be specifically included in ceremony (Mohawk, 2005). The life sustainers are sometimes referred to as the Three Sisters, or our sustenance, and include corn, beans, and squash existing in a symbiotic relationship when grown according to traditional food practice. At the end of the resource, you will find a recipe for cooking your own Three Sisters Soup.