The Opening Address

This film is presented by The Akwesasne Freedom School, a sovereign Mohawk immersion institution dedicated to preserving the language and culture that colonization sought to erase. The Opening Address (Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) is the central prayer of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). It expresses gratitude for life and the natural world, opening and closing all social and religious gatherings. Recited daily at sunrise, it gives thanks and acknowledgment for Mother Earth and all she provides: water, fruit, trees, birds, medicine and more.