SYNOPSIS

The Opening Address brings to life the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen—the sacred Thanksgiving Address of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Spoken at the beginning and end of all gatherings, this ancient oral tradition offers gratitude to the natural world, reaffirming our relationship with the land, waters, plants, animals, winds, stars, and all living beings.

Created in collaboration with the Akwesasne Mohawk community and Akwesasne Freedom School, the film is a ceremonial invocation told in the Mohawk language, honoring ancestral knowledge and cultural continuity.