After the celebration of the Cornfest, The Mighty Kiowa returned to their village, and continued the fall harvest. When the harvest was complete, Chief Strong Eagle gathered his people around the council fire to give thanks to The Great Spirit. "My people" said Chief Strong Eagle, "the harvest is complete, and once again, The Great Spirit has provided for our needs! Just as we have honored those at the Cornfest who live by The Aims, let us now enter into a time of thanksgiving, during which we honor The Great Spirit for all He has provided for us!" The Chief then told his tribe to prepare a great feast to celebrate the occasion. On the day of the great feast, Chief Strong Eagle gathered the tribe at the center of the village, and spoke these words of thanks:
Great Spirit, We Give Thanks for our brave warriors who protect our land, and our way of life. Watch over them and their families, and bring them safely home.
Great Spirit, We Give Thanks for the beauty of your creation. Lead us daily to be mindful that Your creation is to be respected and cared for, not plundered and destroyed. Help us to take good care of that which You have provided.
Great Spirit, We Give Thanks for gift of our families. You know our hearts, and You know that good families create good people, and good people create good nations. Inspire us to be ever mindful of the importance of our families in our lives, and the way that we raise our children, so that they honor You.
Great Spirit, We Give Thanks for friendships. Good friends are valuable in our lives; they share our joys, our triumphs, our defeats, and our suffering. No man is complete without good friends.
Great Spirit, We Give Thanks for the bounty of the land. The food we are about to eat was prepared by our hands, but we know that it first came from Your hands.
Great Spirit, We Give Thanks for The Aims. The Aims give us direction how to live with one another in peace and respect. Without them, we would be like the tumbleweeds of the desert, blown about with no direction or purpose.
After Chief Strong Eagle spoke these words, the people enjoyed the great feast they had prepared, and spoke of the many gifts and goodness of The Great Spirit. May the blessings of The Great Spirit always be upon The Mighty Kiowa!
Yatahey!
Chief Bald Eagle
Federation Fire Keeper
Created by Gary Kranston
