Chafe] SENECA THANXSGIVING RITUALS 89 



1. The People 



(189) And now it becomes m}'" responsibility; those who are called 

 cousins, the Faith Keepers, have requested it of me. (190) They 

 decided that all our words would issue from me.^ That was their 

 intention. (191) And now I simply ask forgiveness if it should per- 

 haps happen that we inadvertently drop some of the ritual as it 

 proceeds; do not thinJv, "Pie does it intentionally." Indeed you know- 

 that my thoughts are not normal these days.** (192) And you will 

 just fill it in, if we happen to miss the way it goes, for indeed you are 

 familiar with it. (193) And I have begun this way; I thought I would 

 make this request, in order that you not be disturbed by anything.*^ 



(194) And Oiu- Creator decided, "They will move about on the earth." 



(195) And indeed he made us, the people, and left us here on the 

 earth to move about. (196) And we can at least claim to be happy 

 today, this beautiful day, where we are moving about. (197) And 

 in fact this, too, is the way things are in the community; we have 

 not heard of any unfortunate occurrence. (198) And we must all be 

 happy, the whole group that has gathered. (199) Indeed we all 

 laiow (200) that the days are numbered for us who move about on 

 the earth. (201) And let there indeed be gratitude that we people 

 still remain another year, as Our Creator arranged the sequence of 

 ceremonies.*^ (202) He provided the Four Rituals for the people on 

 the earth to continue. (203) He decided, "They wiU simply give 



** Lit. '(from) where I am in place'. 



*' Tiie speaker liad recently been under some personal stress, and might not otherwise have Included this. 



« Lit. 'that your minds wouldn't be so (because of) anything'. 



" The cycle of annual ceremonies being equated with the passage of another year. 



