Roots of the Land

There’s much to be learned from the original caretakers of this land, the First Peoples. Let’s take a look at all the different ways we were able to use these gifts of nature today. What things did you do or see that made you feel thankful for all that Mother Nature offers us?

Artifacts from the past can tell us how the people before us lived. Which artifact did you and your partner discover? What do you think it was for and what gifts from the land did the ‘People of the Longhouse’ use to make it?

The Haudenosaunee people were very grateful for everything the land gave them. They said a special Thanksgiving prayer each morning to thank the animals, the plants, the water as well as Grandmother Moon. We decided to create our own “Giving Thanks” verse and then share it in a drumming circle at the end of the day. Talk to your family about the designs you chose to put on your drum and what these gifts from nature mean to you. What did it feel like to be part of the drumming circle?

The Haudenosaunee people believed that the land was a living being and a source of knowledge. As a Heron, when you use gentle footsteps, practice respectful harvesting, and leave no trace, you too are listening to the land and learning from it.