All My Relations

"All my relations” is the English equivalent of a phrase familiar to

most Native peoples in North America. It may begin or end a prayer

or a speech or a story, and, while each tribe has its own way of

expressing this sentiment in its own language, the meaning is the

same.

"All my relations” is at first a reminder of who we are and of our

relationship with both our family and our relatives. It also reminds

us of the extended relationship we share with all human beings. But

the relationships that Native people see go further, the web of

kinship extending to the animals, to the birds, to the fish, to the

plants, to all the animate and inanimate forms that can be seen or

imagined. More than that, “all my relations” is an encouragement

for us to accept the responsibilities we have within this universal

family by living our lives in a harmonious and moral manner …

(p. ix)

-Thomas King (1990), professor at Guelph University and author /

actor of the popular CBC radio show Dead Dog Café