Lakota Morning Prayer
O holy
Great Mystery, thank you for this day.
Thank you for the Universe, which is our tabernacle. I thank you
for the Star People, who watch over our water and all that lives,
and give us direction and a place in life.
Thank you for our sacred Grandmother, the Earth, mother of all
living beings, who are our relatives.
Thank you for the East Wind, which brings us the Morning Star to
open the dawn, permitting us to begin each new day without
repeating our mistakes of yesterday. The East Wind brings a sense
of renewal into our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our
spirits, as it renews the spirits of our sacred Grandmother, the
Earth and of all our relatives, her children.
And thank you for the Black Tail Deer People, who live in the
East and watch over us.
Thank you for the South Wind, which bears warmth and generousity
to our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our spirits, as well as
to our sacred Grandmother, the Earth, and to all our relatives,
her children.
And thank you for the Owl People, who live in the South and watch
over us.
Thank you for the West Wind, which brings the lightning and
thunder spirits to cleanse and refresh our sacred Grandmother,
the Earth, and all our relatives, her children, with rain, and
which bears cleanliness and refreshment to our hearts, our minds,
our bodies and our spirits.<
And thank you for the Buffalo People, who live in the West and
watch over us.
Thank you for the North Wind, which brings the strong and
enduring winds that give our sacred Grandmother, the Earth, and
all her children, our relatives, strength and endurance, and
bears strength and endurance to our hearts, our minds, our bodies
and our spirits.
And thank you for the Elk People, who live in the North, and
watch over us.
I thank you for all the winged things of the air, everything that
flies, for their teachings, their generousity and their
sacrifice. Thank you especially for the eagle, who flies the
highest, sees the furthest, and is faithful to its mate.
Thank you for the four-leggeds, who give us so much and teach us
so much, for their sacrifices and sharing. Thank you especially
for the buffalo, because as the buffalo goes, so go our people.
Thank you for all our relatives who crawl and swim and live
within the earth, for their sacrifices and sharing and their
generousity. Thank you for all their teachings and for everything
that they give us.
Thank you also for everything that grows, all the green things of
the Earth. They teach us so much and give us so much. Thank you
for their sacrifices and for their sharing.
I thank you especially for the tree with the whispering leaves,
for its strength and independence, for its teachings. And thank
you for the sacred Tree of Life, which we must nourish and care
for, in order to ensure that it blossoms once again and so allows
our people to live.
Thank you for the salmon and the other fishes, who teach that it
is our birthright to return to our home.
And thank you for the spider, who teaches us the foibles of life
in the guise of Iktomi, the Trickster.
I thank you for each of the sacred ceremonies brought us by the
holy White Buffalo Calf Woman.
Thank you for our purification lodge, which enlightens us with
understanding of purification and cleanliness.
Thank you for the sundance, which allows men an opportunity to
comprehend and appreciate the miracle of new life by sharing, in
a small way, the experience of childbirth.>
Thank you for the Crying for a Vision Ceremony, which permits us
to recognize a good road to follow throughout life, a road that
is positive and independent.
Thank you for the Making of Relatives Ceremony, which allows us
to bring new citizens into our nation, into our family, into our
clan.
Thank you for the Keeping of the Spirit Ceremony, which allows us
the privilege of showing respect for our ancestors, and brings
the community together to share and celebrate the deeds of the
departed.
Thank you for the Throwing of the Ball Ceremony, which brings the
community together as one heart, one mind, one spirit, one body.
Thank you for the Making of the Woman Ceremony, for it allows our
girls and young women to aspire to be worthy of the universe.
And thank you for our healing ceremonies, which care for the
infirm and the crippled and the sick, and for the sweet medicines
produced by our relatives who grow.
Thank you for the dirt, for the clouds, for the white blanket
that comes to cover our Grandmother, the Earth, in the time of
cold.
Thank you for the water.
Thank you for all the sacred colors, together representing
everything that is worthy in life, and individually teaching us
so much.
And thank you for the wind that travels in a circle, for it
teaches us respect and wonder and awe.
I thank you for everything that is holy and sacred and good.
We are all related.
