Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message

Written by Chief Jake Swamp

Narrated by Chief Jake Swamp

Known as the Thanksgiving Address, this Native American good morning message is based on the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift - from the moon and the stars to the tiniest blade of grass.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Weston Woods
• Release date: Jan 1, 1997
• ISBN: 9780545258074

Reviews for Giving Thanks

[alissanergaard · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Giving Thanks is written by Chief Jake Swamp and illustrated by Erwin Printup. It is a Native American morning message that gives thanks to all things in nature. I really enjoyed this story because I am using it for a Thanksgiving lesson, and it is not your typical type of Thanksgiving book. It reminds me that there are many other things to be thankful for that we often take for granted; a great message for children.

[t1bclasslibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an Iroquois message of thanks. It is an illustrated thanks for all the gifts of the world, the things that sustain us, the abundance of nature, and the beauty all around us.

[lisa2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to love this more than I did but I did really like it and appreciate it.It’s meaningful that this book was created by Native Americans, words by Chief Jake Swamp (Tekaronianeken/Mohawk?) and illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. (Cayuga/Tuscarora) educated in fine arts from the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, NM. Both men live in New York state.U.S. Thanksgiving is probably my least favorite holiday (family centered with no close family; 46 million turkeys killed every year for just this holiday) but I can 100% get behind this kind of thanksgiving: a daily address to thank Mother Earth for all that she provides. Given climate change it was also poignant for me, but overall I found it lovely. I like how children are taught to express these thanks and how it’s said at ceremonial and government gatherings to this day. The words are from the Iroquois or Six Nations People.A big plus is that the address is printed in the Mohawk language at the end of the book. I’d like to hear the audio of it because I don’t know how it sounds.The illustrations grew on me. From the start I loved their vibrancy and bright colors but I wasn’t sure about their style. As I turned the pages I enjoyed them more and more and by the end of this short picture book I really liked them.Thanked are: everything, deep blue waters, green grasses, good foods, fruits and berries, good medicine herbs, all the animals in the world, all the trees, all the birds, the gentle Four Winds, Grandfather Thunder Beings, Elder Brother Sun, Grandmother Moon, twinkling stars, Spirit Protectors of past and present, and the Great Spirit.3-1/2 stars