Chafe] SENECA THANKSGIVING RITUALS 29 



(78) And it will become warm again on the earth, and they will re- 

 turn. With all their voices they will sing once more their beautiful 

 songs. (79) And it will lift the minds of all who remain when the 

 small birds return." (80) And he arranged as well that they are 

 available to us as food, the birds with outspread wings. (81) It is 

 true: we are using them too, the birds with outspread wings. They 

 are available to us as food. (82) And we believe that they too are 

 all carrying out their responsibility. (83) They all, as I said, have 

 names, according to their type. (84) And give it your thought, that 

 we may do it properly: we now give thanks for the birds with out- 

 spread wings. And our minds will continue to be so. 



8. The "Sisters" 



(85) And now this is what Our Creator did. (86) It was indeed at 

 this time that he thought, "I shall leave them on the earth, and the 

 people moving about will then take care of themselves. (87) People 

 will put them in the earth, they wiU mature of their own accord, 

 people will harvest them and be happy." (88) And up to the present 

 time we have indeed seen them. (89) When they emerge from the 

 earth we see them. They bring us contentment. They come again 

 with the change of the wind.^^ (90) And they strengthen our breath. 



(91) And when the Good Message came we were advised that they 

 too should always be included in the ceremonies, in the Four Rituals.^^ 



(92) Those who take care of them every day asked, too, that they 

 be sisters. (93) And at that time there arose a relationship between 

 them: we shall say "the Sisters, our sustenance" when we want to 



" I.e., not a change in direction, but from cold to warm. 



2« I.e., this should be one of the items for which thanks is expressed. The Four Rituals (pp. 2-3) are here 

 synonymous with longhouse ceremonialism. 



680135—61- 



