The Thanksgiving Ceremony GEORGIA Now in the land of Panuco which, shortened from the longer
name of the Ancients, means 'The place where the Serpents landed when they fled from burning
Pahn,' the Healer met many merchants and saw old cities, some still living and some in ruins.
Near here was the fabulously old Xibalba, now rapidly crumbling into the ocean. Into these
ports came the traders, who brought the copper down from the Northland to the Southern Sea
and the Sunrise Ocean. From them he learned their language, and soon was asked to go with
them to the Puan cities. From their name, he supposed these people to be a lost colony from
Palin, the sunken Red-Land. These ships of the traders were made from a great log slowly
hollowed out by fire and patient chipping, untfl they could hold many rowers. Even into the
time of White Man there have been similar trading fleets, as Father Mercier, in his travels
with the explorers, has so faithfully described them. Thus northward went the Healer to an
extensive city in the land now known as Georgia. It formerly had a different name, but in
tribute to the Prophet's arrival this was changed to E-See-Co-Wah, which means the Lord of
Wind and Water. Famous now was the mighty Master, and the people came for many miles to see
him, raining his pathway with fragrant blossoms. Here he built a pyramid-temple, with painted
logs as was the Puan custom, and dedicated it to OUR FATHER, THE GREAT SPIRIT.

When he saw that the inhabitants were in a hurry to finish it, he inquired the reason and
learned that a great ceremony was due called the Thanksgiving Ceremony. Concerning this the
Prophet was puzzled. Surrounding himself with his usual disciples, twelve altogether, thus
with himself making thirteen, the Dawn-Star's number, he inquired about this ceremony for
which the people were preparing. ' 'Is it the same,' he asked, 'as the one at Panuco? They
too have a Thanksgiving Ceremony but it takes place a moon later.' 'Yes, it is the same. It
celebrates the sale arrival of Votan from the burning Red-Land. His fleet came first to
Massachusetts and they celebrate a moon earlier.' I would hear more of the story.' 'It is
said that when the young prince of the House of Votan, with his large fleet first touched the
firm earth, all did kneel and kiss the sweet ground with the grass growing on it, and send up
a prayer of thanksgiving. Since that time each place where the fleet put in, in turn has its
Thanksgiving Ceremony. During the feast which follows, we eat of the plants which Votan
brought with him, the corn, beans, and red tomatoes, the squash and sweet potatoes. We have
melons with rich ripe strawberries and other berries. We drink of the delicious chocolate.
For meat we have the deer, buffalo or the bird called turku (turkey) for all these came from
the old Red-Land now long lost in the floods of the great destruction. When the Prophet
learned of this, he gave the rite his blessing and made it one of the feasts of the Temple,
thus making the people glad, for they thought of Pahn as their ancient homeland.

GEORGIA It was during this ceremony of the dedication of the Pyramid-Temple in the place now
called Etowa., Georgia, that the Prophet first mentioned the future. Standing high above the
people, and staring into the distance after his speech had been finished, once more he began
to speak: 'Afar through time my spirit is walking down the cycles of the future. 'I see the
armies of the Serpents moving northward from their cities, being driven out by bloody
warfare. Those ancient worshipers of the Fire have returned to (he ways of their fathers and
once more are sacrificing to idols. They are coming up the river, the Serpents led by the
Turtle. 'The Puan people will move northward and an uneasy peace shall for some time follow,
but a civil war will break out (The Mound Builder's War?) among them. Now if ye could only
convert these people once again to the peace religion of the One God, together with those who
will come down from the northward along the Sunset Ocean, then what follows might be
different. But I fear that ye cannot. Civil war becomes anarchy and each city takes to the
forest, joining in tribes for senseless warfare. Remember this and tell your children. Woe
follows this unhappy decision. Yet more distant is another invasion. In ships many bearded
men are coming from across the Sunrise Ocean. Many are the ships as the snowflakes of winter.
I see these men taking the Broad-land, and the Mounds which hold the crests of our cities are
for them, alas, but earth for the taking. They do not respect our trees of cedar. They are
but hungry unenlightened children, and with them the vision closes. 'Would I could reach
those war-hungry Serpents! 'I have tried. They do not hear me. They go on their way like
spoiled children, while I return to you and the present, here at the Temple of E-See-Co-Wah!'

The Golden Rule given by the Prophet to the Shawnee People 'Do not kill or injure your
ndghbour, for it is not he that you injure; YOU injure yourself. Do good to him, thus adding
to his days of happiness even as you then add to your own 'Do not Wrong or hate yo'ir
neighbour; for it is not he that You Wrong: you Wrong yourself. Rather love him for the Great
Spirit loves him, even as he loves you.'

Note. This is a Traditional Chant of the Shawnee Indians who are an eastern woodland tribe.

He Walked the Americas, L. Taylor Hansen, The Garden City Press, 1963 Reprinted under the
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html Fair Use doctrine of international copyright
law. ©