Late breaking news: President Joe Biden has nominated Myaamia Center Executive Director (2021)
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Late breaking news: President Joe Biden has nominated Myaamia Center Executive Director
Daryl Baldwin to the National Council on the Humanities.
Myaamia Publications
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Vol. 16, No. 2
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Spring 2021
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Section A
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Noošonke Siipionki Myaamionki
Meehkweelintamankwi Aanchsahaaciki
“We remember our forced removal.”
1846 - 2021
Commemorating the 175th Anniversary
of the
Forced Removal of the Myaamiaki
From Our Homelands
Article on page 1B.
In this edition...
Section A
Miami Tribe Enrollment Cards 2A
Chief’s Report 3A
Supreme Court Decision/McGirt 4A
Corona Virus Response
4A
Sale of CREO Property
5A
Construction of Quarantine Site 5A
Office Location Consolidation
5A
2020 Annual Meeting 6A
New Veteran and Citizen Logos 7A
Huntington, IN Proclamation
8A
Section C
Honoring Tribal Citizens
1C
Deaths 4C
Births 5C
Marriages 5C
Community Online Resources
6C
Fall Social Gaterhing
7C
Scholarship Info 8C
Section B
Remembering Forced Removal 1B
2B
MNE Hires New Director
MHMA Online Archive
3B
Tribe & University Anniversary 3B
Interview: Tammy Benson
4B
Restoring Bird Habitat
5B
7B
Myaamia Dictionary Update
About the Miami Tribe & Miami
University Relationship
8B
Photo by Doug Peconge.
2021 Miami Tribe of Oklahoma General Council Meeting - June 26, 2021
2A
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
aatotankiki Myaamiaki
MIAMI NATION NEWS is published by the Sovereign Miami Tribe of Oklahoma for our enrolled citizens. Aatotankiki
Myaamiaki is distributed by mail and made
available for download from the Miami Nation’s website. A single copy is mailed free
of charge to each tribal household. College
students living away from home may request
a copy be mailed to their campus, or off-campus, address.
This publication is printed in Stigler, Oklahoma by Stigler Printing. Publication design
and layout is done in-house by the Miami
Nation Cultural Resources Office staff. Requests for special articles or publication of
community information, including births,
deaths, marriages, family news, anniversaries, etc., are welcomed and encouraged.
Myaamia Publications
Miami Nation
Cultural Resources Office
P.O. Box 1326
Miami, OK 74355
918-541-1300
Email: mtocro@gmail.com
Editorial Staff:
Julie Olds, Scott Willard, Diane Hunter,
Joshua Sutterfield, Doug Peconge,
Meghan Dorey, Joe Leonard,
Bobbe Burke
Submission Requirements:
Photos: Photos submitted electronically should
be saved at a resolution of 300 dpi, sized at standard 4x6 or larger, and saved in jpg, tif, or pdf
formats.
Obituaries, Birth Announcements and other
time sensitive submissions will be amended to
show past tense text unless the family submitting the information expressly requests the text
remain unaltered.
About the Relationship Between the
Miami Tribe and Miami University
By Kara Strass - Aacimotaatiiyankwi Community Blog Post, Dec. 8, 2020
Page 8B
TRIBAL MEMBER ADDRESS UPDATES:
Contact Tera Hatley at thatley@miamination.com
or by phone 918-541-1300.
REQUEST NEW
CITIZEN ENROLLMENT CARDS
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has issued a
new format for its Tribal Citizen/Member
Identification and Enrollment Card. The new
plastic card allows for the inclusion of a photograph of the Enrolled Citizen/Member and
also allows the inclusion of a Myaamia name.
Tribal citizens who wish to obtain the new card
should contact Tera Hatley, Member Services
Manager, at thatley@miamination.com or by
phone at 918-541-1324 .
Advertisements: Enrolled citizens of the Miami
Nation who are business owners, artists or crafts
persons, etc. are eligible to receive free ad space
once per year. Allotted ad size is 5” x 5” and
should be sized at 300 dpi and saved as a jpg, tif
or pdf file. Ad layouts, or links to download such
from your Dropbox or other cloud storage site,
should be emailed to mtocro@gmail.com.
Miami Nation Elected Officials
Chief - Douglas Lankford
Second Chief - Dustin Olds
Sec.-Treas. - Donya Williams
1st Councilperson - Tera Hatley
2nd Councilperson - Scott Willard
MIAMI NATION HEADQUARTERS
Physical/Shipping Address:
3410 P Street NW
Miami, OK 74354
918-541-1300
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1326
Miami, OK 74355
CARD FRONT
MYAAMIA CITIZENS STAY
CONNECTED VIA INTERNET
MIAMI NATION WEBSITE
www.miamination.com
SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES
“MYAAMIAKI Miami Tribe
of Oklahoma”
Facebook “Aatotankiki Myaamiaki”
Facebook - Public Page
Listed as “Miami Nation Events”
Facebook - MHMA Page
“Myaamia Heritage Museum & Archive”
CARD BACK
Miami Nation News is on Facebook
at AATOTANKIKI MYAAMIAKIMiami Nation News
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
aacimwita akima: The Chief Reports
Aya, ceeki eeweemakiki – greetings to all my
relatives. Ciinkwia akookaki noontawakinciki – the spring peepers began to sing here in
Myaamionki Noošonke Siipionki in late March
and the sound of Ciinkwia – that rumble of
thunder – followed as our cue to put our stories
away for another season of peekitahaminki. I
always look forward to the general change of
seasons. Our winter had been mild until that
deep cold arrived in mid-February. The deep
freeze took a toll on several of our buildings
including the Drake House and our Archive
where water leaking from frozen drains (even
with water dripping to help protect against
freezing) and pipes damaged ceilings, walls
and flooring.
I know the virus has been at the center of attention, personally and here at Tribal
headquarters, and it has affected many within
our community as victims or in loss of loved
ones. Our sincere sympathy to all who lost
someone during this strange time, from the
virus or some other cause. Please know our
hearts and prayers are with you. Like you, we
are all tired of the pandemic. We long for family and community gatherings. I believe we
are getting close to this long-awaited time of
restoration. Until then, please, let us all continue to help prevent the spread so those still
waiting for a vaccine can stay safe. We will be
together soon.
The pandemic has hampered many
functions of Tribal operations, and we have all
become quite adept in the use of video meetings. We have worked hard to keep programs
and projects in service and moving forward
as safely as possible. This has been possible
due to the commitment of our employees, and
we are so grateful. When we had to close the
Tribal offices to public access early in the pandemic, our concern centered around the need to
plan and hold the Tribe’s most important and
constitutional event, the annual General Council meeting. Thankfully, in early August we
were able to hold the annual meeting, though
all other events traditionally held leading up to
the meeting, known as our National Gathering
Week, were cancelled due to the virus threat.
The meeting of the General Council
was safely held outdoors under the dance pavilion next to our Pow Wow arena. Our agenda
included all standard reports from Tribal leaders, approval of minutes to the previous year’s
meeting, and election of officers. Secretary
Treasurer Donya Williams was re-elected to
serve another three-year term, and Kay Russell was elected to serve a term on the Grievance Committee. For the first time, two sisters
were elected to represent us at the same time
as Grace Lankford was elected to the two-year
term of Miami Nation Princess and her younger sister Bella was elected to the one-year
term of Miami Nation Junior Princess. These
girls are my Myaamia grand-daughters (great
nieces), the grandchildren of my brother Jerry
Lankford. They have grown up participating
in our language camps, attending Tribal events
and local Pow Wows, and we are very proud of
them!
As we reported through our social media channels, the decision was made to sell the
Trentman Road property in Fort Wayne, which
housed our Cultural Resource Extension Office employees and served as a gathering place
for community cultural education events. The
location served us well; however, program attendance was growing at such a rate that we
quickly outgrew the buildings’ crowd safety
limits. The property sale closed on November
6, and we are actively seeking a new parcel of
land that will allow us to plan for the kind of
gathering place needed. Until that time arrives,
we will soon have a “mobile office” vehicle
that will allow CREO employees the ability
to travel to various locations to host outdoor
events when weather permits. Be sure to check
the MYAAMIAKI Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
group Facebook page for updates to this and
other news.
A ground-breaking ceremony will be
announced on the Tribe’s Facebook page in
late May for the new Cultural Resources Center, a cultural education and archives building
provided for through a current Indian Community Development Block Grant. The new facility is set to be constructed on Tribal trust land
located on the east side of our Nation’s headquarters at 3410 P. Street NW in Miami, OK.
Since my last report, Indian Country
received a great win in the United States Supreme Court. On July 9, 2020 the landmark
case McGirt v. Oklahoma was decided, holding
that the Muscogee Creek Nation reservation
was never disestablished by Congress and that
jurisdiction for criminal offenses involving
Native American victims or perpetrators within
the reservation boundaries rests with either the
federal or tribal government and not the state
of Oklahoma. This decision, which results in
reserved sovereign rights, was the biggest win
for Indian Country in 80 years. There is an
article in this edition of the newspaper which
goes into detail about this case. Following the
McGirt decision, other McGirt-like cases were
filed in courts across Oklahoma with lower
court decisions to date upholding former reservation boundaries for the Cherokee, Seminole,
Chickasaw and the Miami Tribe.
Questions have arisen such as can
Tribes handle expanded jurisdiction? What is
the tax implication of expanded jurisdiction?
The Tribes are looking into these issues but
have taken a strong, united stance that there is
no need for a legislative fix by Congress. On
behalf of the Business Committee, in November I sent correspondence to the entire Oklahoma delegation to strongly assert the Miami
Tribe’s opposition to any legislative action to
overturn the McGirt holding. The Miami have
also joined other Tribes from Northeast Oklahoma in an Amicus (friend of the Court) brief
in a case called Terry v. Oklahoma which will
consider the historic boundaries of the Ottawa
reservation. We are waiting to see if the Court
will accept our petition to participate in this
case. We will continue to follow these McGirtlike cases and lend our support to ensure that
tribal sovereignty is protected.
As you are aware, in May and June of
2020 the Tribe received Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES
Act”) Funds from the Department of Treasury
in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and
its impacts to the Tribe and its members. The
funding we received was based on number of
enrolled members, land base and number of
employees. Tribes submitting information to
the Department of Treasury received differing amounts based on certification information submitted. The Tribes received strict, narrow guidance on how funding amounts could
be spent. The Business Committee appointed
a CARES Act Fund Team (“CAFT”) and retained the services of an expert consultant to
provide recommendations and guidance for
fund expenditures. These steps were taken to
ensure expenditures met Department of Treasury CARES Act Fund requirements so there
will be no required repayment of CARES Act
Funds for non-compliant expenditures.
COVID-19 has created great hardship
for many, and the Tribe has worked to utilize
these Department of Treasury funds to offset
COVID hardships and to mitigate the spread of
the disease. There is an article in this newspaper as well that speaks to programs the Tribe
is implementing with use of the CARES Act
Funds.
Lastly, I am pleased to report the conclusion of Rosas v. AMG Services, Inc. this
month. Rosas, a California case, was the last
of the state court class action cases stemming from the Tribe’s loan company business
which was concluded in 2014. The Tribe won
3A
By Chief Douglas Lankford, eecipoonkwia
Akima Eecipoonkwia
Chief Douglas Lankford
Photo by Andrew Strack.
in the lower courts, and though it took years,
the plaintiff Rosas continued to litigate finally
submitting a petition for certiorari to the California Supreme Court. On November 24th the
California Supreme Court denied cert to hear
the matter, concluding this lengthily legal matter. The Tribe can finally put this last piece
of the history of the loan company behind it.
Leadership would like to thank our team of
lawyers at Fox Rothschild, the Jacobson Law
Group and our in-house counsel, for their hard
work and dedication to see this matter fairly
concluded.
There are two important commemorative events on the horizon that I want to bring
to your attention. There is an annual calendar date, October 6, that we commemorate
with strong emotions and is known to us as
“Removal Day”. A day in our history that is
shrouded in sadness, anger, division and great
loss. Note that I used “commemorate”, not celebrate. We hold that day in memory. We talk
about it, teach our young people about it. As
our knowledge about the events that required
it continues to grow, so our understanding and
feelings about that painful journey continue to
morph and change. The removal occurred in
1846. October 6, 2021 will mark the 175th anniversary of that day of immeasurable change.
Our Cultural Resources Office will commemorate this anniversary year with publications
and presentations that will continue to expand
our knowledge and understanding about the
removal. We will close the commemorative
anniversary year with presentations during the
2022 Winter Gathering.
The second commemorative event is to
be a celebration of yet another anniversary. It
was in 1972 that our late Chief Forest Olds set
a course for our history in motion with his surprise visit to a beautiful campus and school in
Oxford, Ohio bearing the name Miami University. As we close our commemoration of the
removal, the 2022 Winter Gathering will mark
the kick-off to the celebration of our 50-year
relationship with Miami University. The events
for this celebration are currently in planning
and certainly will be announced further as a
calendar is set.
Though our offices remain closed to the
public, we believe, with the vaccinations now
in wider distribution, that we will see a reopening date sometime in early summer. Until then,
we are eagerly making early plans for the General Council meeting on the last Saturday in
June. We will keep you posted on those plans
and other news through our social media pages
and the Tribal website at www.miamination.
com. Until we can safely meet again, peehkihkanaweeko - be safe and well.
Akima Eecipoonkwia
The 2021 annual meeting of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma General Council is set
for Saturday, June 26th, in Miami, OK. Please watch the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Facebook page and website for updates on the meeting. On Facebook at
MYAAMIAKI Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and via website at miamination.com.
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Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
Recent United States Supreme Court Decision Leads to
Local District Court Holding Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
1867 Treaty Reservation Boundaries Remain Intact
By Robin Lash, General Legal Counsel, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
On July 9, 2020, the United States Supreme
Court issued a decision in a landmark case McGirt v. Oklahoma, 591 U.S., 140 S. Ct. 2452
(2020), which holds that millions of acres of
land in east central Oklahoma established as
a reservation for the Creek Nation was never
disestablished by Congress and remains intact
today. Specifically, the court looked at the 1901
General Allotment Act (“GAA”) which opened
up surplus Indian lands to non-Indians; it did
not disestablish the Reservation. The Court
noted that while “Congress may have passed all
above laws to create the conditions for disestablishment, to equate allotment with disestablishment would confuse the first step of a march
with arrival at its destination.” Because the
reservation was found never to have been disestablished by Congress, the state of Oklahoma
could not exercise criminal jurisdiction over
an alleged crime involving a Native American
victim or perpetrator, or occurring within recognized reservation boundaries. That jurisdiction rests with either the federal or tribal government, not state jurisdiction. It is a matter of
reserved sovereign rights.
Jimmy McGirt, a Seminole tribal member, was tried and convicted by the State of
Oklahoma for felony sex crimes against an
underage child. The alleged crimes occurred
within the historic boundaries of the Muscogee
Creek Nation, which the State considered to no
longer exist. McGirt was serving a life sentence
when the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals issued
its decision in Carpenter v. Murphy, wherein it
ruled that the Creek reservation remained intact
and the State lacked jurisdiction to prosecute
Murphy. The State appealed and the case was
accepted by the Supreme Court but remained in
pending status because of a conflict with one of
the Supreme Court Justices. In the meantime,
the Supreme Court accepted certiorari in the
McGirt case, which raised the same question as
Murphy. The McGirt decision is one of the biggest wins for Indian Country in 80 years.
Writing for the majority, Justice Neil
Gorsuch agreed with both McGirt and the Mus-
cogee Creek Nation that the Muscogee Creek
reservation had never been explicitly disestablished by Congress. Justice Gorsuch wrote:
“Yes, promises were made, but the price of
keeping them has become too great, so now we
should just cast a blind eye. We reject that thinking. If Congress wishes to withdraw its promises, it must say so. Unlawful acts, performed
long enough and with sufficient vigor, are never
enough to amend the law. To hold otherwise
would be to elevate the most brazen and longstanding injustices over the law, both rewarding
wrong and failing those in the right. The judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma is Reversed.”Several other McGirt-like
cases were immediately filed by Native Americans tried by the State of Oklahoma for major
crimes committed on the Cherokee, Seminole,
and Chickasaw reservations. All cases upheld
former reservation boundaries.
It wasn’t long before the Miami Tribe’s
McGirt-like case came before the court. In
State of Oklahoma v. Rebecca Rose Leoppard
(Ottawa County Case No. CF-2019-194) the
defendant, a Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member, was charged in 2019 with Assault
and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon and Domestic Assault and Battery. These crimes took
place on the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma reservation. Leoppard was subsequently found guilty
and a sentencing hearing was set for September
3, 2020. Following the U.S. Supreme Court
decision in McGirt, Leoppard filed a Motion
to Dismiss for lack of jurisdiction arguing the
State had no jurisdiction to prosecute her as she
is an Indian and the offense was committed in
Indian Country. On October 15, 2020, the Ottawa County District Court dismissed the case
finding that the offense occurred on the Miami
Reservation, which had never been disestablished, and the State therefore lacked jurisdiction to charge and prosecute the case.
As with McGirt, in Leoppard, the Court
reviewed evidence and agreed that the Miami
Tribe’s reservation was lawfully established
under the Treaty of 1867. Also, as in McGirt,
the Court in Leoppard Court then followed the
three-step test in Solem v. Bartlett, 465 U.S. 463
(1984) to determine if the Miami reservation
had been disestablished.
Under Solemn the court first looks at the
congressional statute to determine if Congress
clearly and expressly intended to disestablish
the reservation. Under Solem, as clarified by
McGirt, if step one is clear the Court does not
proceed to steps two and three. Here the Court
also looked at the 1901 General Allotment Act.
Like Solem and McGirt, the Leoppard court held
that opening up reservation lands for settlement
by non-Indians does not constitute the intent to
diminish reservation boundaries. As such, in
Leoppard, the Court held that the Miami reservation remains intact and dismissed the case for
lack of jurisdiction. The U.S. Attorney’s office
will now review the case for prosecution.
These McGirt wins are so important to
each and every Tribe. Native American defendants in criminal cases of all stages are filing
McGirt-like appeals or pleadings to initiate review. The Miami Tribe is participating as an
Amicus (friend of the Court) in an active case
challenging jurisdiction for a crime prosecuted by the State which occurred on the Ottawa
Tribe’s reservation. Each win for Tribes in
these cases are wins for Indian Country.
Questions have arisen as a result of
these cases upholding reservation status. Can
Tribes assume the responsibility that comes
with expanded jurisdiction? What are the tax
implications with expanded jurisdiction? The
Miami Tribe, like other Tribes, is creating its
own Reservation Review Committee to identify
impacts, needs or issues of the Tribe or its law
enforcement, Social Services, or Court which
may be impacted as a result of the Leoppard
case holding. “The Miami Tribe is very pleased
that our reservation boundaries are finally recognized,” said Chief Lankford. “Sadly, it took
a Supreme Court case to formalize what we, as
Indian people, always knew.”
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Response to the Corona Virus
Pandemic
By Robin Lash, General Legal Counsel, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
A year has passed since Miami Tribe Leadership
declared a State of Emergency in response to
the COVID-19 pandemic which began sweeping through the country and the Miami reservation. Through these past months the Business Committee has worked tirelessly putting
measures in place to protect the health, wellbeing, and general welfare of the tribal employees, tribal members and the community. The
Miami Tribe remains in a State of Emergency
with government buildings closed to the public
and employees working both on property and
remotely from home.
In response to the April 2020 Department
of Treasury announcement of Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES
Act”) Funds to be released to tribal governments, the Miami Tribe submitted required documents and certifications to receive funds. The
Department of Treasury issued different fund
amounts to different tribes based on number
of enrolled members, land base and number of
employees. In May and June the Miami Tribe
received CARES Act funding and the Business
Committee appointed a CARES Act Fund Team
(“CAFT”) and retained the services of a Cares
Act expert consultant to work with the CAFT to
make recommendations to the Business Committee for programs and services compliant
with narrowly tailored Department of Treasury
Guidance for CARES Act Fund expenditures.
The Department of Treasury requires that all
CARES Act Funds be used to cover costs that
1) are necessary expenditures incurred do to
COVID-19; 2) were not accounted for in the
budget on March 1, 2020; and 3) were incurred
March 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020.
The initial concern of the Business
Committee was to provide some financial as-
sistance to its citizens impacted by COVID-19.
The Business Committee was advised by legal
and its CARES Act consultant that general disbursements to tribal members was not authorized in the Department of Treasury guidance
and funds issued as such would likely have to
be reimbursed. The Business Committee authorized the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma General
Welfare Ordinance under which it would structure grants for tribal members to apply for assistance for needs as a direct result of COVID.
The first program implemented was the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Family Assistance Program followed by the COVID-19 General Welfare Program Emergency Technology
Assistance Grant. The Tribe’s Social Services
Department, Indian Child Welfare program, and
Housing Department also implemented funding
assistance for those who qualified. At that time,
healthcare experts forecasted the pandemic remaining up to a year or longer with projected
spikes in COVID possibly resulting in additional shelter in place orders. In response, the
Tribe planned for long range expenditures to assist the Tribe. To date, the following CARES
Act Fund expenditures have been authorized:
cleaning expenses for tribal buildings with COVID exposure; Police Department protective
equipment, additional uniforms and supplies;
electronic equipment to allow for remote employee work; upgraded servers and software
to support remote employee work to ensure
continued tribal services; equipment and software to convert cultural education programs
in an electronic format including the language
emersion camps; HVAC upgrades for clean air
in tribal buildings; remodel and upgrade of the
Long House to become a distance learning location; construction of a site with tiny houses to
provide a location for tribal members to quarantine safely; construction of a meat processing facility to process the Tribe’s livestock and
provide meat processing for tribal members;
mobile CREO office, Ft. Wayne Indiana; personal protective equipment (PPE) in all administration buildings; hazard pay for tribal police,
Title VI, ICWA and HUD employees interfacing
with the public; reimbursement to the Tribe for
time paid to employees performing other work
duties as a direct result of COVID; expenses related to holding the Annual Meeting outdoors.
Other possible expenditures include remodel of
headquarters storage area to create a large court
room to allow for in-person court hearings with
social distancing, and remodel of two additional
sites for use as COVID quarantine locations for
tribal families. The CAFT has worked hard to
identify tribal needs, present options that comply with guidelines, document tribal justification for expenditures and work with contracted
experts to ensure compliance. The expenditures
to date are geared toward mitigating the spread
of the disease while improving the Tribe’s ability to communicate with tribal members and provide services for tribal members during these
trying times.
This global pandemic has been difficult
for everyone. The Business Committee sends
its condolences to those who may have suffered COVID related illness or loss of family
or friends. The Business Committee asks that
everyone remain patient and stay diligent in following CDC guidance to mitigate the spread of
this disease. Happier days are coming. We are
all in this together and we will come through
this together.
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Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
Miami Tribe Sells Cultural Resources
Extension Office Staff Article
Consolidation of
Miami Tribe Office
On September 19, 2020, Chief Douglas Lank- programs and gatherings hosted by the CREO. Locations Underway
ford represented the Miami Tribe of Oklaho- Chief Lankford stated the Tribe has initiated the
ma Business Committee at a local community
meeting held outdoors at the Tribe’s Cultural
Resources Extension Office (CREO) located at
10901 Trentman Road in Fort Wayne, IN. Invitations to the meeting were mailed to tribal
households within a 150-mile radius of Fort
Wayne. Tribal leadership hosted the informal
meeting to inform the local community of the
planned sale of the 10-acre property with the
CREO office building where local members
engaged in workshops and cultural education
gatherings.
The sale of the property was planned
after Tribal leadership heard the request of the
Cultural Resources Office to locate a property
better suited to the constant growth of cultural
programs and for the Tribe’s important work and
presence in the homeland region. The current
location was purchased in 2014 and the growth
in attendance at cultural education events and
gatherings has already reached the properties
capacity for parking and interior space for event
attendance. Chief Lankford stated the sale of
the property is the first necessary step in addressing cultural needs expressed by the Cultural Resources Office and to expand the Tribe’s
land ownership and presence in the heartland
region of Myaamionki.
Chief Lankford applauded the work of
CREO employees Doug Peconge and Diane
Hunter and cited their efforts in the tremendous
growth in community engagement and public
awareness of the Miami Tribe in the area. Chief
Lankford also thanked the community for its
strong support and encouragement for cultural
search for a parcel of land better suited to the
Tribe’s needs and assured the community the
work of the CREO would continue in various
locations until a new space is secured.
The property sold in early October and
the sale closed on November 6, 2020. The funds
from the sale are being held in reserve while
the Tribe continues to search for another location better suited to the needs of the Cultural
Resources Office and the need for greater space
for community gatherings.
In a social media post on November
7th, 2020, Doug Peconge, Community Programming Manager for the CREO, had this
to say: “Yesterday was an emotionally tough
day as we closed on the sale of the Trentman
road property in Fort Wayne. This property has
been home to the Cultural Resources Extension
Office(CREO) for over five years. While our
Myaamia community gatherings there started
with 20 - 30 community members, it has progressed to attendances of 60-80 community
members. We have outgrown the building as a
community. The Tribe has begun looking for a
place that will better meet the needs and growth
of our Myaamia community. I look back on the
many wonderful conversations I have had with
community members, the lacrosse games we
played together, stomp dance, and the meals we
shared together. I will always look back on that
place with fondness and joy because of the moments we shared together. Today I am excitedly
looking forward to a new home for the CREO
and a place for all of us to create new memories.”
Miami Tribe Set to Construct Quarantine Site
in Myaamia Reservation Area Staff Article
On April 12th, 2021, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma broke ground on a project to install a series of tiny houses designed to serve the needs
of Tribal citizens to quarantine away from their
homes and families during the pandemic.
The project was approved by the Tribe’s
Leadership in early 2021 and is made possible
through CARES Act funding.
The tiny houses, 10 in all, will be placed
on the south side of the Title VI Food Program
facility located on the Tribe’s western campus
in the Miami Reservation area of Ottawa County, OK.
The structures, purchased from Glamping Pods of America, are built in the Midwest
and delivered as fully assembled. Each has
heat/air units, sleep 2-4 adults and measure 10’
5” wide by 16’ long. They include a small refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and other amenities.
The project is under the direction of the
Tribe’s Roads, Cemetery & Parks Department
and the construction was awarded to Maska
Builders out of Tulsa, OK . The unique community of structures is known in Myaamia as
minooteenhsi – a small village.
Staff Article
In March 2021, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
Business Committee completed the sale of
two office buildings in downtown Miami, OK.
The buildings, located at 121 and 125 N. Main
Street, previously housed the Tribe’s Environmental Quality Department and the business archive.
The sale facilitates the ongoing effort
to consolidate offices within the Tribe’s two
campuses located within Myaamia reservation
boundaries in Ottawa County, OK.
A large-scale relocation of offices within the Tribal Headquarters will make room for
the Social Service programs and Vehicle Tag
Office, currently located inside the old Tribal
Headquarters at 202 S. Eight Tribes Trail.
A new Elder Activity Center (EAC)
building is set for construction next door to the
Title VI/Myaamia Community Center and Dining Hall. The building will house the small library, workout equipment, and computer access
for elders as previously supplied in the old Activity Center. The new space will also include
an arts and crafts area.
The old Elder Activity Center, located
directly west of the Tribal Council House, will
be converted to the Cultural Resources Center
and house the Cultural Resources Office and
related programs and projects. The south end
of the building will provide the needed office
and lab space for the Environmental Quality
Department as they move from their downtown
office location.
The relocation and consolidation plan
will place all but three Tribal employees working in Miami, OK, within offices located in either the east campus (Tribal Headquarters) or
the west campus (Council House, dining hall,
wellness center, and pow wow grounds.)
The Myaamia Heritage Museum & Archive (MHMA) and the Miami Nation Gift
Shop will remain in the 28 N. Main building
in downtown Miami. The three employees for
these businesses are the only employees who
will be working off-campus.
The Tribe will lease the vacated office
space at the old Tribal Headquarters to Miami
Nation Enterprises for business development
needs.
The consolidation and relocation work
will be complete before the annual General
Council meeting on June 26, 2021.
Nation’s Cabinetry
is the Largest Tribalowned Cabinet
Company Staff Article
On April 12, 2021 the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma held a ground-breaking ceremony to kick of
the construction of a unique tiny-house quarantine project. The structures will be located on
the western building campus, just to the south of the Myaamia Community Center, in the Oklahoma reservation area. Participants in the ground-breaking, pictured left to right: James Battese, Cemetery, Parks and Roads Officer, Second Chief Dustin Olds, Chief Douglas Lankford,
Secretary-Treasurer Donya Williams, First Councilperson Tera Hatley and Second Councilperson Scott Willard. AM Staff Photo.
Miami Nation Enterprises, the economic subdivision of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, has
purchased the remaining minority interest in
Nation’s Cabinetry. The purchase makes the
company the largest tribal-owned cabinet manufacturer in the kitchen and bath cabinet market.
Nation’s Cabinetry, ranked 127 in the
most recent FDMC 300, has grown from a regional startup to a multi-brand company and
boasts sales across the U.S.
Read more about Nation’s Cabinetry,
and other Tribal businesses, on the Miami Nation Enterprises website at http://www.mn-e.
com.
FALL GATHERING - COMMUNITY REUNION
Friday, Sept. 24 & Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021
Tribal citizens and their families are invited to travel to Noošonke
Siipionki Myaamionki - Miami, OK for this two-day celebration of
our return to community gatherings. Watch for updates and details
on social media and the tribal website at www.miamination.com.
6A
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
2020 General Council
Meeting Staff Article
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma completed the
Nation’s constitutional duty to hold an annual
General Council meeting in 2020 during the
Corona Virus Pandemic. The original meeting
date, set for the last Saturday in June each year,
had to be postponed due to the swift spread of
the virus in the spring months.
Tribal leaders determined the required
meeting could be safely held outdoors under the
dance pavilion next to the Miami Nation Pow
Wow Grounds. The meeting was set for Saturday, August 1, 2020, and was announced to the
General Council by letter and social media.
Registration tents were set up around
the pow wow arena to allow social distancing
for citizens and guests. The meeting was called
to order at 8:23 a.m. Masks were encouraged,
and social distancing was supported with chairs
spaced safely. Approximately 110 people were
in attendance with 80 voting age citizens counted.
Annual reports were given by Chief
Douglas Lankford and Secretary-Treasurer
Donya Williams. The minutes of the 2019 General Council meeting were approved by unanimous vote.
Per the Tribal Constitution, elections
were held for Secretary-Treasurer of the Tribal
Business Committee, a seat on the Grievance
Committee, the two-year term of Miami Nation
Princess and the one-year term of Miami Nation
Junior Princess. The Ballot Committee counted
the votes which were then certified by Legal
Counsel. Donya Williams was re-elected to
serve the three-year term on the Business Committee; P. Kay Russell was elected to serve the
three-year term on the Grievance Committee,
Grace Lankford was elected to serve the twoyear term of Miami Nation Princess and Bella
Lankford was elected to serve the one-year term
of Miami Nation Junior Princess. Chief Lankford administered the Oath of Office.
It is the custom of the Tribe to bestow
honor and gifts to elders and the youngest child
in attendance during the meeting. Those recognized were:
Eldest Female and Male in attendance: Tribal
citizens Velma Turner and James Battese
Youngest Child of an enrolled Myaamia citizen
in attendance: Ryla Eileen Rose Aiello, threemonth old daughter of Myaamia citizen Jennifer Potter.
Tribal Elders “75 Year” Honor: Those receiving a Pendleton Blanket for reaching the age of
75 years: Chief Judy Davis and Sister Edwina
Pope. (This honor is given only once to Myaamia citizens aged 75 or older. The gift requires attendance at the annual General Council
meeting.)
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 a.m. and
a drive-thru lunch pick-up was provided.
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Douglas Lankford administers the Oath of Office to citizens
elected to positions of service during the 2020 General Council meeting. Pictured with the
Chief, from left to right are: Donya Williams, re-elected to a three year term of service on the
Tribal Business Committee; Grace Lankford, elected to a two-year term as Miami Nation Princess/Ambassador; Bella Lankford, elected to a one-year term as Miami Nation Junior Princess;
Kay Russell, elected to a three-year term on the Grievance Committee. Photo by Jonathan Fox.
Congratulations to Chief Judy Davis of Miami, OK, and Sister Edwina Pope, ASC, of Wichita,
KS, (pictured with First Councilperson Tera Hatley) who received their Elder Blanket during
the 2020 General Council meeting. It is the custom of the Tribe to gift elders attending the
General Council meeting who are 75 years of age. Photo, left, by Jonathan Fox; right, by Doug
Peconge.
Social distancing and masks were the order of the day during the 2020 annual General Council
meeting of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. The meeting was held Saturday, August 1, outdoors
under the dance pavilion at the Tribe’s Pow Wow grounds to provide a safe gathering space for
Tribal citizens and their families. Photo by Doug Peconge.
(Left) Outgoing Miami Nation Princess Tabby Watson, left, crowns the newly elected Princess,
Grace Lankford during the 2020 General Council meeting. Young women aged 16 -21 are eligible to run for the two-year reign of Miami Nation Princess. Photo by Jonathan Fox.
The 2021 annual meeting of the Miami Tribe
of Oklahoma General Council is set for
Saturday, June 26th, in Miami, OK. Please
watch the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Facebook page and website for updates on the
meeting. On Facebook at MYAAMIAKI
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and via website
at miamination.com.
7A
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has approved a new icon to show respect to veterans.
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Adopts New Logo to
Honor Tribal Veterans
AM Staff Article
In late June each year, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma holds the Nation’s
General Council meeting. Before the business of the meeting proceeds,
the Chief calls on all veterans in attendance to come to the front of the
Council House to be honored. Gifts are presented and each veteran is
handed the microphone to give their name, military service branch and
years served. It is a tradition intended to show the respect due those who
have served, and those who continue in active duty.
In the fall of 2020, the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Office sought
approval for a graphic design with embedded cultural meaning created
to visibly show respect to tribal veterans. The design bears the Myaamia
word meekaahkiihpanaki - ‘those who used to be warriors’ - and is intended to provide a permanent reminder of the sacrifices, bravery and
honor due to those who commit to military service.
The design is understood as follows:
-Red Text - because of the strong association between that color and war.
-Black background - war has long been recognized as a kind of darkness
that descends and obscures our vision.
-White Pipe - symbolizes peace. (Note: Pipes covered in white feathers
were used as a part of the ceremony of bringing about peace through creating new relationships.)
-Red Gunstock Warclub - symbolizes war. (Note: The warclub was the
personalized weapon of a Myaamia warrior historically. Red
is one of the colors associated with warfare because of its obvious connections to blood and sacrifice.
-The diamond patterns connect with the Myaamia community flag a reminder that our warriors fought and continue to fight to protect our community. Diamond patterns have been used to reference ciinkwia ‘Thunder
being’ who was often sought out for help in matters related to warfare.
-The raccoon paw print recognizes that historically the Raccoon Clan
had the responsibility of organizing war at the village level.
-Green circle - symbolizes peace. (Note: At the Treaty of Carlisle 1753
the Myaamia delivered a beaver blanket with a green circle painted on it.
The Myaamia representatives described it this way: “We acquaint all our
Brethren that We have prepared this Beaver Blanket as a Seat for all our
Brethren to sit on in Council. In the middle of it We have painted a green
Circle, which is the Colour and Resemblance of our Hearts, which We
desire our Brethren may believe are sincere towards our Alliance with
them.”
-Together with the pipe, the circle helps remind us that war has to be balanced with peace or we risk great harm.
-3 Stripes (Note: These three colors, together with the black background, complete the directional colors of the Myaamia. Black/North
pipoonahkonkiši ‘to the north’ - symbolizing depth of time and the accumulated wisdom of elders as well as death. Red/West pankihšinkiši
‘westward’ - the color of the adult age of responsibility, of our warriors,
of blood shed, knowledge gained, the responsibility to live and share that
knowledge, and maturity/setting sun.
-Blue/South maayaahkweeciši ‘to the south’- symbolizing older youth,
warmth, and the renewal of spring. Yellow/East awansaapiciši ‘eastward’
- symbolizing birth/re-birth, and the young children who need a lot of
care from the community.
The Miami Nation Gift Shop has t-shirts available with the design but incorporating the Myaamia words for “We Honor our Veterans”,
making the shirts available to the community to show support and honor
our veterans.
Flags will be ordered with the design to be flown at Tribal Headquarters, inside the Council House, and carried by veterans during Grand
Entry at the Miami Nation Pow Wow and other dances.
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Provides New Identity
Logo to Tribal Community
Staff Article
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has adopted a new Myaamia citizen’s icon
designed to visually support individual
Myaamia identity and tribal citizenship.
The graphic merges the Tribe’s popular
cultural community icon (turtle/crane/
face) with the ring of directional colors
found in the Tribe’s formal governmental seal.
The ring of colors, representing
the four directions, is interpreted as follows:
-awaansaapiciši (eastward) is represented as yellow and is the color for our babies and very small children. It is the
color of the rising sun, the new day,
emergence, and birth.
-Maayaahkweeciši (southward) is represented by blue/green and represents our
youth. It is the color of growth, learning,
and seeking knowledge.
-Pankihšinkiši (westward) is represented
by red and is the color of the adult age
of responsiblity. It is the color of our
warriors, of blood shed, maturity, knowl-
edge gained, the responsibility to live
and share that knowledge.
-Pipoonahkionkiši (northward) is represented as black and honors our Elders.
Black represents earned respect, wisdom,
closing of day/time/winter, and preparation for the journey ahead.
-The inner area of the circle is white representing peace and harmony.
The cultural community icon, in
the center of the design, is made up of
images of importance to the Myaamiaki.
The shape of the turtle represents our
homelands/place. The human face and
the head and neck of ceecaahkwa - the
sandhill crane - were understood, and recorded by our ancestors, to represent the
people/Myaamiaki.
The new Myaamia citizen’s icon
will be printed on garments, flags and
other items to be made available to the
Myaamia community through the Miami Nation Gift Shop at http://www.myaamiagifts.com.
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has approved a new Myaamia
citizen’s icon designed to support individual Myaamia identity and tribal citizenship.
8A
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
City of Huntington, Indiana Recognizes Myaamia People
with Official Proclamation
By Kara Strass
Wiipicahkionki ‘Huntington, Indiana’ along the
Waapaahšiki Siipiiwi ‘Wabash River’ has been
and continues to be an important Myaamia place
within our homelands. Just as importantly, it is
a place where Myaamia people still live and are
actively involved in their community.
Huntington elected a new mayor, Richard Strick, in 2019, and early in his tenure, he
connected with several Myaamia people, including Sue Strass and Robert Miller. As he learned
more about the Myaamia people and our ongoing contributions to Huntington, he wanted the
City of Huntington to recognize the Myaamia
community and our contributions to the area
with an official proclamation. The proclamation “recognizes the unique, lasting, and ongoing contributions from Myaamia people to the
City of Huntington and strongly encourage all
contemporary residents to work to properly understand the history.”
The proclamation was signed on Tuesday, November 24th, 2020. While the proclamation signing could not be open to the general
public due to coronavirus precautions, a small
group of Myaamia people was able to gather.
Diane Hunter and Doug Peconge from the Cultural Resource Extension Office, Kara Strass
from the Myaamia Center, and Myaamia citizens Katrina Mitten and Robert Miller were able
to get together ahead of the signing to talk with
Mayor Strick about Myaamia history, language,
and culture. Myaamia elder Sue Strass of Hun-
tington, and a few additional family members
were able to join for the official signing of the
proclamation.
While the proclamation is a good first
step in creating a relationship between the Miami Tribe and the local government in Huntington, Indiana, everyone involved agreed that
there is much more work to be done to move the
relationship forward. For those of us who continue to spend time in Huntington, we recognize
our connections to Wiipicahkionki through the
people and the land, and this is just the first recognition of that by the city government.
The langauge of the proclamation is as
follows:
WHEREAS, President George H.W.
Bush first approved a joint resolution designating the month of November as “National American Indian Heritage Month” on August 3rd,
1990, and,
WHEREAS, the Wabash River, the
Waapaahšiki Siipiiwi, was and continues to be
the heart of Myaamia homelands, and,
WHEREAS, the Forks of the Wabash,
the Wiipicahkionki, the ‘Flint Place’ was one
end of overland portage between the St Lawrence and the Mississippi River, and,
WHEREAS, the Chief’s house built at
the Wiipicahkionki was the last council house
of the Myaamia Nation east of the Mississippi
and capital of the Myaamia Nation, and,
WHEREAS, the Chief’s house was the
site of the signing of both the 1834 and 1840
treaties forcing the removal of many Myaamia
people, and,
WHEREAS, the Myaamia people continue to have a sizeable population in the Huntington area and the Wabash River Valley, and,
WHEREAS, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has a continued presence in their homelands
in Indiana through its citizenship and exerts
sovereignty through the efforts of the Cultural
Resources Extension Office and Tribal Historic
Preservation Office
WHEREAS, the Myaamia people continue to persist in renewing Myaamia culture
and language, and,
WHEREAS, the Myaamia people indelibly shaped the City of Huntington through land
grants for historic church congregations and
this same contribution is borne out in various
street names, and,
WHEREAS, Huntington remains a significant place for the cultural continuity of the
Myaamia people.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Richard Strick,
Mayor of the City of Huntington, do hereby
recognize the unique, lasting, and ongoing contributions from Myaamia people to the City of
Huntington and strongly encourage all contemporary residents to work to properly understand
and tell the history right.
On November 24, 2020, representatives of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma witnessed the signing of a proclamation, by Huntington, IN Mayor
Richard Strick, honoring the contributions of Myaamia people to the Huntington area. Front row, left to right: Diane Hunter, Miami Tribe of
Oklahoma Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Kara Strass, Director of Miami Tribe Relations at the Myaamia Center at Miami University,
Huntington, IN Mayor Richard Strick, Myaamia Elder Sue Strass, Myaamia citizen Robert Miller, Myaamia citizen Rachel Cirullo and Myaamia citizen and acclaimed artist Katrina Mitten. Back row: Myaamia citizen Kirk Strass and Myaamia citizen Haley Shea.
Myaamia Cultural Education Center Renovation Underway Staff Article
With federal funding from the CARES Act, the
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has approved a plan
to improve the Ethel Miller Moore Cultural
Education Center (CEC) to allow for enhanced
distance learning capabilities during and after
the pandemic.
The Indian Action Team constructed the
building in 1978 on 4 acres of Tribal trust land
located within the Ethel Miller Moore allotment.
Originally designed to serve as the
Tribe’s longhouse, meeting, and community
center, the building was the first Tribal structure
owned by the Miami Tribe since the Nation’s
arrival in Indian Territory in the early 1870s. In
2014 the Tribe listed the building on the Miami
Tribe of Oklahoma’s National Register of Historic Properties.
The building is structurally sound but
does require improvement before the planned
cultural education programs can begin. The
renovation plan will improve the kitchen area to
allow cooking classes on-site and recorded for
delivery to the Tribe’s dispersed community.
Improved lighting, technology resources, and expanded rest room facilities are a part
of the interior renovation work. Externally, improvements to the parking area are complete,
while updating the septic system awaits improved ground conditions.
The building has most recently been used
for arts and crafts classes and provides a beautiful setting for family reunions and funeral gatherings. The improvements should be complete
before the Tribe’s General Council meeting in
late June of 2021. The Cultural Resources Office will announce an open house event upon
completion of the renovation.
About the Myaamia Ethnobotanical Database - mahkihkiwa.org
Named Mahkihkiwa – herb medicines as a reminder of the importance of plants to living
well from a Myaamia point of view. If there is a plant you want to know more about, you
can search its common name in English and then learn its Myaamia name and scientific
name. At the bottom of each entry, there are drop-down menus for Myaamia Archival
Sources and Botanical Sources. In the Myaamia Archival Sources menu you will find historical records from over 100 years ago as well as plant information that elders shared in
the 1990s. Does your family have plant related information or stories to add? Let us know
in the comments and it just might end up in Mahkihkiwa.
Myaamia Publications - Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021 - Section B - Noošonke Siipionki Myaamionki
Meehkweelintamankwi Aanchsahaaciki - Remembering
Our Forced Removal: 175 Years
Staff Article
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is commemorating the 175th anniversary
of the forced removal of the Miami Tribe from its homeland through
written articles posted to the tribe’s community blog spot at aacimotaatiiyankwi.org.
On October 6, 1846, the United States government began the
forced removal of Myaamia people from our historic homelands in the
Wabash River Valley. On that solemn, heartbreaking day, Myaamia people were forced at gunpoint onto canal boats near Iihkipihsinonki ‘the
Straight Place’ (Peru, Indiana). All told, in just over a month of forced
travel, over 320 Myaamia people were moved via canals and rivers to
Kanza Landing (Kansas City, Missouri) in the Unorganized Indian Territory. At least seven Myaamia people died on the journey, and many more
died over the following winter. Two babies were also born on the monthlong journey. This forced removal fragmented the Myaamia community,
as five family leaders retained the right to receive their treaty annuities
in Indiana and thereby remained behind on individual or family reserves
in the state.
As we post the accounts of the removal, we should all take a moment and reflect on this arduous journey and remember the Myaamia
people who suffered separation from their homes and their families in the
fall of 1846. It is through their struggles that the Miami Nation endured
on a new national land base west of the Mihsi-Siipiiwi (Mississippi River).
Beginning with Weehki-Kihkatwe ‘Lunar New Year’ the Cultural
Resources Office began Meehkweelintamankwi Aanchsahaaciki ‘Remembering Our Forced Removal’, a year of remembrance and commemoration. Throughout the year, we will feature educational opportunities,
presentations, and events created to share knowledge about the Myaamia
forced removal in an effort to help bring understanding and healing across
our community. These efforts will help us see removal, not as a singular
event in time that “ended” with arrival in Kansas. But rather as a great
stone cast into our communal waters with ripples that have continued to
move throughout generations. It is important to understand the effects of
removal have been integral in shaping our national identity today.
Just as our ancestors undertook a journey that broke their hearts,
we want to continue the healing journey throughout the next year to further bring our hearts together. The article included in this edition, “The
Indian Removal Act of 1830 and Subsequent Pressure for Myaamia Removal”, by Diane Hunter, Miami Tribe Historic Preservation Officer,
is the first history installment uploaded to the Aacimotaatiiyankwi Myaamia Community Blog in early February. Since that time more installments have been added. We encourage all Myaamia families to read the
articles and should any person, young or old, have any questions we encourage you to submit them to Diane Hunter, our Tribal Historic Preseration Office and author of the removal history blog entries. Reach Diane
at dhunter@miamination.com.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and Subsequent
Pressure for Myaamia Removal
By Diane Hunter, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Tribal
Historic Preservation Officer - Reprinted from the Aacimotaatiiyankwi Myaamia Community Blog - posted Feb. 5, 2021
October 6, 2021 is the 175th anniversary of the beginning of the Miami
Forced Removal from Indiana in 1846. This blog will trace the series of
events and decisions that led to our Removal and beyond. A new blog
post on the first Friday of each month will take you from before the 1830
Indian Removal Act to the October 1846 Removal. During the dates corresponding to the time of the Removal itself, almost daily posts will be
added on each date on which we know what was happening in OctoberNovember 1846.
The 1830 Indian Removal Act is often seen as the starting point
for the forced removals of tribes in the eastern parts of what is now the
United States to west of the Mississippi River, but the Act had been in
planning for years. Tribes had been pushed west since the arrival of the
first Europeans on the east coast, and the pressure to remove became
more and more intense throughout the 1820s.
This October 23, 1826 passage from a letter from Indian Agent
John Tipton, Michigan Territorial Governor Lewis Cass, and Indiana
Governor John B. Ray to United States Secretary of War James Barbour
illustrates that Americans were already trying to figure out how to get us
out of Indiana:
“It was impossible to procure the assent of the Pattawatamies [Potawatomi] or Miamies to a removal west of the Mississippi. They are not yet
prepared for this important change in their situation. Time, the destruction of the game, and the approximation of our settlements are necessary
before this measure can be successfully proposed to them. It was urged
as far as prudence permitted, and, in fact, until it became apparent that
further persuasion would defeat every object we had in view. It was then
important that the Indians should be separated into bands, by the intervention of our settlements. As long as they can roam unmolested through
the country, we may in vain expect either to reclaim them from the savage
life they lead, or to induce them to seek a residence where their habits
and pursuits will be less injurious to us…But our principal difficulty has
been with the Miamies. The country which they occupy is much more
valuable than that occupied by the Pattawatamies. It is immediately upon
the Wabash, and commands the great avenue of communication between
the Ohio and the lakes.”
The U.S. Government’s strategy was to wait until they could remove our food source of fresh game and crowd us out by moving around
and between us so that we would want to go west. They didn’t like the
way we lived and hoped that living so close to Americans, we would
either assimilate to their way of life or leave on our own. But the most
critical issue to them was the land. They wanted our land and needed us
to sell them the land and leave.
It is clear from this letter that the Americans were strategizing and
unsuccessfully trying to persuade us to go. On February 15, 1830, James
Noble sent a letter on behalf of Myaamia Principal Chief J.B. Richardville to the Secretary of War, saying that Chief Richardville opposed removal, making clear the Miami people did not want to be removed west.
All of this happens before the May 29, 1830 passage of the Indian
Removal Act. Section 1 of this Act makes it lawful for the President of
the United States to set aside land west of the Mississippi River “for
such tribes or nations of Indians as may choose to exchange the lands
where they now reside, and remove there.” And Section 3 says, “it shall
and may be lawful for the President solemnly to assure the tribe or nation with which the exchange is made, that the United States will forever
secure and guaranty to them, and their heirs or successors, the country so
exchanged with them….” The Act does not require our removal west; it
merely makes the exchange of our land for land west of the Mississippi
River legal for the President to arrange.
The Indian Removal Act
opened a path for further action
by the U.S. government, including
a July 9, 1832 Statute, “An Act to
enable the President to extinguish
Indian title with the state of Indiana, Illinois, and territory of Michigan:” “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United states of America, in
Congress assembled, That the sum
of twenty thousand dollars be, and
the same is hereby appropriated
for the purpose of holding Indian
treaties, and of finally extinguishing Indian title, within the state of
Indiana….”
Immediately following the
passage of this law, the U.S. government began negotiations with
the Miami National Council to
pressure us to cede our land and go
west of the Mississippi. These negotiations followed what became a
familiar pattern:
Diane Hunter is a Myaamia citizen
and Tribal Historic Preservation
Officer in the Cultural Resources
Office of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. AM staff photo.
You should go west.
We will not go.
Think about it. We need a definite answer.
We will not go.
Let’s talk about this again tomorrow....
On September 10, 1832, just two months after the passage of the
“Act to enable the President to extinguish Indian title,” U.S. Commissioners came to our Council House at the Forks of the Wabash in present-day Huntington, Indiana to meet with our “principal chiefs and warriors.” In their opening statement, Jonathan Jennings, one of the Board
of Commissioners, said, “My Children…You who have seen many snows
and have once seen the country filled with game; you who were at the
Treaty of Greenville will remember that your Great Father then took you
strongly by the hand. Since that time, he has always loved you - He still
loves you. Your Great Father sees his red children much imposed upon
by some of his bad white children, and he is sorry for it. He sees too, that
the game is gone from the lands they now live on.” His statements show
that the plan laid out in the October 23, 1826 letter for “the destruction of
the game” had been successful. (Note: The 1832 talks between the Miami
National Council and the U.S. Commissioners took place at the Miami
Council House at the Forks of the Wabash. This structure was destroyed
in the 1950s.)
Jennings continued, encouraging the tribe to remove west of the
Mississippi because of bad white men:
“Your Great Father has sent us to say to you that he has much land beyond the Mississippi where game is plenty and where the bad white man
shall never go to disturb you. This land, your Great Father will keep for
Continued on page 6B.
2B
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
Miami Nation Enterprises Hires New Director of
Administrative Operations
Staff Article
Miami Nation Enterprises / Federal Contracting
Group is pleased to announce that it has named
Kendra King Bowes as its new Director of Administrative Operations effective May 1, 2021.
In this new role Kendra King Bowes will have
direct reports in business capture operations,
strategic teaming and tribal certifications, office management and program management
startup and launch development.
Dennis Allen, CEO of Federal Contracting Group’s parent corporation said “Kendra
brings outstanding credentials to our Federal
Contracting Group sector. She will be a highperformance driver from day one. We are delighted to have her impressive credentials and
experience as well as her Native American heritage in leading this vital segment of Federal
Contracting Group.”
Mrs. King Bowes has 20 years of experience in federal government contracting having
served in various roles with Native American
and Tribally owned companies throughout her
career. She has been responsible for health, environmental, and professional services contracts
supporting the U.S. Departments of Health and
Human Services, Interior, Defense, Homeland
Security, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development. She most recently served as general
manager for Miami Environmental & Energy
Solutions, LLC.
She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree
in Business Management and Marketing from
Oklahoma State University, a Master of Public Administration degree from George Mason
University and is a Project Management Professional (PMP). She is a tribal member of the
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Mrs. King Bowes said, “I am excited to
serve in this new role with Miami Nation Enterprises and the Federal Contracting Group.
As the Director of Administrative Operations,
I will have the opportunity to support all the
MNE federal contracting businesses and their
diverse portfolios. It is a pleasure working for
such a great company from my home state that
is dedicated to supporting its Tribal members.”
Mrs. King Bowes will assume the role of
Director of Administrative Operations effective
May 1, 2021.
Miami Nation Enterprises is the economic arm of the federally recognized Miami
Tribe of Oklahoma. Miami Nation Enterprises
was founded by our Tribal leaders in June 2005
to provide support and economic development
opportunities for the good of the Miami Nation
and its citizens. Under the umbrella of MNE, we
operate a diverse collection of commercial companies and a Federal Contracting Group with
offices and employees across the United States.
The success and growth of MNE has helped our
Native American community in various ways,
including funding enhanced education, benefits
for elders and other indispensable services vital
to the Tribe’s wellbeing and future.
In-person classes began Monday, September
21st, 2020 for students at Miami University,
despite classes already being in-session online
for six weeks. Miami currently has 30 Myaamia
students enrolled at the school as part of the
Heritage Program. As the first and second years
began moving in, it got me thinking about how
our program, the Heritage Program, has been
affected by Covid-19.
Like the rest of the country and presumably the world, everything around Oxford is
weird for students right now. There are no longer winding lines down the street to get into the
bar, students no longer crowd coffee shops in
the morning, and overall, this town that is normally bustling with activity just feels quiet.
Unlike many other colleges and universities, Miami decided to do something unique to
slow the spread of COVID. We spent the first 6
weeks of school participating in remote learning, while the school decided if it was safe to
return to campus. This meant that while upperclassmen were able to move back to Oxford into
off-campus housing, the freshmen and sophomores were faced with more difficult decisions.
First-year students who didn’t want to
defer a year had no choice but to stay home until Miami decided the fate of their year. Second-year students had the opportunity to forfeit
the normally-required on-campus housing and
move into apartments around Oxford. All students were given the option to remain remote
for the entire semester and skip Oxford altogether.
During those first 6 weeks, the Heritage
Program felt more disconnected than ever. Normally, all students enrolled in the program have
two important gatherings during our first weeks
on campus; our first class and our Fall Retreat.
These gatherings give students a chance to get
reacquainted after a summer apart and a chance
to meet the incoming students and new staff
members.
The first class is always loud, excitement fills the air as students see each other and
the staff for the first time in months. We share
a meal together and discuss our plans for the
semester as a community. This semester’s first
class was done via Zoom and while it was nice
to see everyone again, it wasn’t the same.
Kendra King Bowes is the new Director of Administrative Operations for Miami Nation Enterprises. AM Archive Photo.
Please join us in congratulating Kendra
as she takes on this new role to help ensure the
company’s future success.
Here’s to Future Growth!
For more information or to schedule interviews,
contact Gena Lankford, HR Director, at glankford@mn-e.com (918)533-6344.
Myaamia Heritage Program Fights Feelings of Disconnect During
Pandemic By Stella Beerman, Myaamia Student, Miami University
Staff at the Myaamia Center attempted
to create a space for students in Oxford to gather once a week and share a meal together, however, after the first week, COVID numbers in
Oxford spiked and in the interest of everyone,
the gatherings had to be paused.
I could already feel the disconnect as I
interviewed my peers for this article. While I
got quite a few excited responses from returning students, the incoming students didn’t share
that same willingness to participate. This isn’t
their fault, it’s just more intimidating to sit
down for a one-on-one Zoom conversation with
someone you have never met.
Myaamia students have had little opportunity to gather as a community this semester.
Upperclassmen have expressed empathy towards the first-years as we acknowledge that
the first few weeks on campus are some of the
most formative in terms of creating friendships
within this community. We’re excited to finally
welcome them with open arms as classes resume in person.
Myaamia Center Offers Wide Range of Materials Via Youtube
By Stella Beerman, Myaamia Student, Miami University
Have you ever wanted to know more about your
history, culture, or language?
Have you ever wanted to attend a Myaamiaki Conference at Miami University but
you couldn’t make the trip to Oxford?
What about Myaamia crafts? Is there
something you’ve been wanting to try but didn’t
know where to start?
Well, let me tell you a little bit about the
Myaamia Center’s Youtube page. This page,
hosted by the Myaamia Center, features videos
about all kinds of things; from language resources to traditional game tutorials, and even
information about story-telling. There is a ton
to learn on this page.
I’ve decided to split up the material
found on the page into four categories to tell
you about.
The first category, and one of my favorites, is events, which include videos of previous
events hosted by the Tribe or Myaamia Center.
These videos include keynote speeches from
past Myaamiaki Conferences, a virtual tour
of the Miami Tribe’s properties, and a walkthrough of the Ribbonwork Exhibit that was on
display at Miami University in the Spring of
2020.
Since the Myaamia community is spread
throughout the country, and it would be impossible for people to attend everything, these types
of videos give the entire community an opportunity to interact with events they may not be
able to attend in person. This has become even
more important as Covid-19 makes it harder to
attend events in person.
On the Myaamia History playlist, you
can find a four-part series by George Ironstrack
where he dives into the history of our community. Given all that the relationship between
Miami University and the Miami Tribe has
achieved, there is also an overview of that relationship.
For those interested in accessing language resources, this page is plentiful. There
are songs that utilize the language with translations, specific vocabulary lessons, like parts
of the body, and other short language lessons.
These lessons include breaking the language
down into its smaller parts, such as the consonants, vowels, and nouns. Aside from learning
and using the language, you will also find videos explaining how and where to access the my-
aamia dictionary and Daryl Baldwin’s personal
reflections on his work with the Myaamia Language.
Finally, we’re left with broader cultural
practice videos. These include tutorials of traditional Myaamia games, crafting your own moccasins and ribbonwork, and a few about Myaamia stories. If you’ve ever wondered how to
use that Lunar Calendar you’re sent every year,
there’s a video for that, too.
An additional resource we’ve been given, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, is a full
Eemamwickii experience. Given that the youth
camps had to be held online this year, this means
that the entire community can now virtually access the material from the camps. While these
resources are intended for children, it’s still a
great resource for the whole family, especially
if you’re just starting your Myaamia education.
There is truly something for everyone on this
page. I encourage you to check out the Myaamia Center’s Youtube page at “www.youtube.
com/myaamiacenter” and see what you can find
for yourself!
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
3B
MHMA Implements New Digital Access Platform:
Kaakisitoonkia
By Meghan Dorey, MHMA Manager, and Amy Dianne Bergseth, Archives Technician
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
awarded the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma a grant
in July 2019 for the further development of an
online portal for archival digitization. This website is for members of the Myaamia community
and others to view records and items from the
collections of the MHMA. Over the past year
we have been creating content and this portal
is now active at Kaakisitoonkia.com. The name
of this website comes from the Myaamia word
kaakisitoonkia, meaning “preserved objects, as
in an archive.”
The website is built on a content management system called Mukurtu (pronounced
MOOK-oo-too) CMS. This tool for digital access to archival and museum content is unique
in that it was created with and for Indigenous
communities. The name Mukurtu comes from
the Warumungu word for a bag used to carry
and safeguard things. Mukurtu was made to
meet this Aboriginal Australian community’s
needs of security and safekeeping as well as
following cultural protocols and proper accessibility guidelines. In practicality, this means
that there are controls for restricting access
to certain cultural materials based on a user’s
position and place within a community. For
instance, some Indigenous communities have
stories or other cultural information associated
with objects that would not be appropriate to
share outside of their own community. A user
from that community could be granted an account that allows them to see that additional
cultural information. Whereas someone without
an account, and without granted accessibility,
sees only what the community has decided is
appropriate. Our intention is that the content
generated from this grant will be available to
anyone who is interested in learning about Myaamia culture through records and objects. The
structure is there to be employed if there are
situations where greater sensitivity of cultural
knowledge is needed in the future.
Kaakisitoonkia allows for the presentation of information, records, and fragile objects
located in different archives all in one place.
Items can be ‘housed’ in one area at the web
platform even if the physical originals are located in different museums and archives. This
is especially important since Myaamia cultural artifacts and historical archives are scattered throughout the United States and across
the globe. Digitizing fragile items will also increase access while preserving the physical objects from further deterioration from additional
handling. This digitization makes it easier for
tribal members and other researchers to access
them for cultural, language, and genealogical
research.
When a user visits the website, they can
find items and documents in a number of ways.
One option is to browse collections, categories, or individual items (termed “Digital Heritage Items” in Kaakisitoonkia). They can also
search for specific keywords or people. Each
digital heritage item includes specifics such as
the creator, author, contributor, dates of creation, and other collection information. Digital
heritage items are assigned categories such as
“Artwork” or “Government & Business” to further categorize the materials. Each item also has
linked names and keywords. A user may click a
keyword or name to find other materials related
to that topic, theme, or person.
Many materials are already available on
the site. One benefit of Kaakisitoonkia is that
we are able to recreate physical exhibits in a
virtual environment for community members
who are not able to visit the gallery in person.
Currently, “Myaamia Miincipi: Miami Corn” is
on display. We have been able to include digital heritage items for all object descriptions as
well as text panels and even include a number
of additional items related to miincipi for this
exhibition on Kaakisitoonkia. It is the hope of
the MHMA that this structure of creating a collection for each physical exhibit will allow all
community members to engage with the programs and educational opportunities, even if
they are never able to visit.
A few years ago, the MHMA undertook
a major effort to reclaim the Miami National
Council Books that were previously held in the
collection of the Gilcrease Museum. With the
assistance of the Cultural Resources Office, the
NAGPRA Advisory Council, and the Nation’s
legal team, we were successful in this effort.
Two volumes of records from 1860-1911 were
transferred to the MHMA collection in 2017.
Digitizing and making access available to these
records was a high priority and a basis for the
tribe to apply for this grant. Written in Kansas
and Indian Territory in the mid- and late-nineteenth centuries, these two account books report
tribal council meeting minutes, record copies of
correspondence, and include other important
governmental information. The digital heritage
item for each volume in Kaakisitoonkia is actually a group of many items. Each page is included with descriptions, transcriptions, and an
index of every person who appears on that page.
Another important account book is also now
available: the “Punkin Center” account ledger
book. Created by storeowner John Sharkey, the
husband of tribal member Rose Ann Geboe Bourie, this ledger details receipts of items people
in the community bought from his general store,
first in Kansas and then in Indian Territory after
relocating with the Nation. In addition to shedding light on what kind of goods the community
was buying and using, Mr. Sharkey sometimes
also included notes about the Miami community
and its members. Passed down through several generations of Rose Ann Sharkey’s descendants, this ledger was loaned to the MHMA by
Susan Mayfield Sanderson and family for the
purpose of digitization. We thank Sue for her
willingness to trust us with her family treasure!
We often say Myaamia history is many family
stories assembled, and every family has a story.
If others are interested in having their personal
family records digitized for inclusion in Kaakisitoonkia, contact the MHMA Manager, Meghan
Dorey at mdorey@miamination.com.
The grant is for two years and the first
year is already complete. In the coming year we
will focus on fully documenting the Robert and
Mabel Owens Collection, a substantial assembly of objects such as woven baskets, tools, and
wooden bowls. Once completed, we will work
to add more complete information about the collections of stories, pictures, and documents donated by Tribal members. Visit Kaakisitoonkia.
com and watch the number of materials added
to the website continue to grow!
Aatotantaawi - A Miami University Miami Tribe of
Myaamia Reading Establishes Chief Oklahoma and
Floyd Leonard
Community
Miami University
Aatotantaawi - Let’s talk about it! - was started
Faculty Fellowship To Celebrate 50th
in the Summer of 2020 as a safe way to gather
Miami citizens together virtually for conversaAnniversary
tions about books and media from Native peoStaff Article
ple or include Native content.
A team of employees from the Myaamia
Center and the Cultural Resources Office, with
some community members, work together to
facilitate online discussions and hold zoom
events for the group. So far, the Aatotantaawi
participants have discussed the movies Hostiles and Te Ata, the non-fiction books Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann and
keehkapiišamenki: The History of Allotment of
Miami Lands in Indian Territory, and the novels
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
and There There by Tommy Orange.
The group has also hosted storytelling
nights over the winter months. We encourage
all tribal members to join the ‘Aatotantaawi!’
Facebook group to join in the conversations
and provide feedback. If you’d like to join the
zoom events but don’t have Facebook, you can
email Kristina Fox at markskm@miamioh.edu
to receive event information by email.
CONNECT WITH YOUR
MYAAMIA COMMUNITY
THROUGH FACEBOOK.
JOIN THE GROUP
“MYAAMIAKI
MIAMI TRIBE OF
OKLAHOMA”
By Kara Strass, Director of Miami Tribe
Relations, Myaamia Center, Miami University
As many of you are aware, we are in the process
of developing new initiatives that will increase
the Myaamia Center’s ability to promote our
work on the national level and also infuse more
of our content into curriculum and student experiences across campus.
To that end, we would like to formally
announce the establishment of the Chief Floyd
Leonard Faculty Fellowship. The initial purpose of this fellowship will be for us to work
with an MU faculty member (Fellow) to seek
out new ways to strengthen the relationship and
increase the presence of Myaamia and Native
American content in the curriculum across campus. Our first official fellow will be Dr. Sandra
Garner who many of you know. Dr. Garner will
be working closely with the MC over the next
3 yrs to develop a framework and strategy for
increasing our ability to share what we do. Dr.
Garner will be participating in occasion mtgs,
classroom activities, research projects, and visiting with many of you in order to increase her
understanding of what we are all working on.
Please feel free to engage with her and share
your work.
We recognize and appreciate the support
of the Leonard family for allowing us to honor
Chief Leonard in this way.
By Kara Strass, Director of Miami Tribe
Relations, Myaamia Center, Miami University
In 2022, both the Miami Tribe and Miami University will celebrate the 50th anniversary of
their unique relationship. The relationship,
which began when Chief Forest Olds visited
Miami University in 1972, has grown from relationships between individual people to a mutually beneficial partnership. The relationship has
seen many important milestones, including the
1991 creation of the Myaamia Heritage Award
for Myaamia students attending Miami, the
founding of the Myaamia Project in 2001, and
the transition to the Myaamia Center in 2013.
Today, we have 95 graduates of the Myaamia
Heritage Program and 30 enrolled students. The
relationship, and especially the cultural revitalization and educational development work of
the Myaamia Center, has been integral to the
myaamia eemamwiciki or the ‘awakening’ of
the Myaamia nation.
The year-long celebration will kick-off
at the 2022 Winter Gathering and will also include the 2022 Myaamiaki Conference and a
week-long celebration in the fall. The planning committee includes Miami University
staff, MTO Cultural Resource Office staff, and
Myaamia students and alumni. This group will
be responsible for developing the year-long celebration that appropriately commemorates this
milestone.
4B
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
An Interview with Tammy Benson, Author of “Wisdom from the Colors”
By Julie Olds
In 2008, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma received
a Social Services grant written to provide a
healthy marriage initiative program for the tribal community and which included funding to
provide Tribal employees the unique training in
the personality assessment program known as
“The Color Code”. The company hired for the
training was Motive Matters, LLC out of Webb
City, MO, owned and operated by Myaamia citizen Tammy Benson and husband Van.
Per the directive of Tribal leadership, the
training was mandatory for all tribal employees. I recall many employees, including myself, were confused as to why we were being
required to participate in a “healthy marriage”
project. I remember complaints about the requirement, and out right anger upon completing
the 20 minutes of annoying questions in the online quiz presented to begin the program. But
the worst part was having to give up personal
time to go to the 3.5 hour training session. On
a Saturday!
Well, that training session proved to be a
life-changing event for me, and I believe for all
who participated. I had taken part in personality assessments before, but this one was very
different. The focus was on understanding self
and why we “do what we do”. A truly introspective, reflective and painful exercise! I loved it.
I was disappointed when the training ended on
that Saturday afternoon, but I left Tammy and
Van’s tremendous presentation eager to apply
the concepts to my personal life to improve it
for myself, my family and literally everyone I
know, or will ever know. I cannot place a value
on what I learned. I have used the understanding of the Color Code literally every day since
that training.
I am especially happy to share, after 14
years of teaching the life changing knowledge
of The Color Code, Tammy has written a book
titled “Wisdom from the Colors: Aha Moments
and Lessons We’ve Learned”.
The book is
available through Amazon where you can also
purchase “The People (Color) Code” by Dr.
Taylor Hartman.
I recently corresponded with Tammy
about her book and asked permission to print an
article about her effort. That correspondence
turned into a Q & A and I am pleased to share
Tammy’s answers and enthusiasm with our Myaamia community.
JO: Tell me what Motive Matters is, when and
why you established it, your mission/vision/
values/purpose.
TB: Van and I are licensed and certified by
Color Code International to teach The Color
Code System. Motive Matters LLC, our company, was established in 2007. The Color Code
Personality Assessment is the foundation of our
company. The magic of our message is that it
identifies why you do what you do (your motive), not just what you do (your behavior.)
Hence the name, Motive Matters. Unlike some
personality programs, we teach against stereotyping and labeling people. The Motive Matters system promotes personal growth. We call
this developing character. It’s not about knowing; it’s about growing.
Our mission is to make a positive difference in the world by helping people create
successful relationships. The message brings
understanding, acceptance, appreciation of differences, and the ability to work together. I like
to say, “Your strength covers my weaknesses,
and my strength covers yours.”
Many people use our personality assessment in their business to strengthen the interactions of their teams. Educators use it to make
sense of individual students while creating a
community where everyone can work together
and learn. Families use it to nurture healthier
marriages and improve parent/child relationships.
JO: Tell me how the Color Code personally affected you and why you and Van became life
coaches.
TB: On July 2nd, 2020, we celebrated our 42nd
wedding anniversary. We share this story in the
book and during our classes. After 25 years,
we almost lost our marriage. I actually went
to a friend and said, ‘I’m done.’ She said, ‘I
want you to come to a “color” meeting.’ We
reluctantly attended. Thankfully we discovered
that we see life differently, through the lens of
our unique personality styles. Understanding
these differences, plus our hard work and God’s
grace, enabled us to not only restore our relationship but create a stronger bond of friendship
and fun. We spent the next four years putting
our marriage back together. During that time,
some friends, who were having trouble in their
marriage, asked for our help. We knew the seriousness of the situation, and we decided to get
further training. We love being married, and we
love helping others see the strengths that exist
in their color combinations
JO: Tell me why knowledge of the Color/People Code is important and how Tribal members
can learn about its self/life impacting affects.
TB: The Miami Tribe played a significant role
in the history of our company. In 2008, I contacted you/Julie Olds for some wisdom. You
connected me with the tribal grant writer, Tami
Lowery. After hearing our story, Tami said,
with emotions in her voice, “I have a grant
I’ve wanted to apply for and you are a perfect
fit!” We began an amazing partnership with
the Tribe. We shared our message, through the
grant, with local school systems, law enforcement agencies, tribal teams and tribal members,
and members of the community. This partnership not only helped many marriages and families, but it strengthened our company, as well.
Thank you for partnering with us. We are grateful!
Through the Cultural Resource Office,
Josh Sutterfield researched the Essential Elements of Relationship (email tammy@motivematters.com if you would like a copy of this.)
The one that touched me the most is expressed
in the term peelakiinki. This word is formed
from the basic stem pelak- used to construct
terms for ‘healing’ and ‘curing.’ This describes
perfectly what the Color Code message did in
our marriage; it helped us heal and cure our relationship. Thank you, Josh, for the value you
added to our program.
JO: When did you realize the need for the
book?
TB: During our early trainings, people would
often make insightful comments, fire off a
funny joke, or tell a tender story. Countless
times, Van and I would look at each other and
say, “OH MY GOSH!” After a few months, I
started writing down these “aha moments.”
They were too good not to remember. Looking
back through my stacks and stacks of notebooks
from our many years of training, I knew I had to
share this wisdom with others. Thus, the book,
their wisdom, and our aha moments. It really is
the people’s book; I’m just the “Keeper of the
scrolls,” so to speak.
My purpose in writing the book was to
help people. We sincerely believe that the combination of live training and the lessons and examples found in Wisdom from the Colors will
provide helpful solutions to the often-complex
world of relationships, both at home and at
work.
JO: Tell our readers a little about yourself.
TB: I am a proud Miami, the niece of our beloved Chief Floyd Leonard, the daughter of one
of the strongest women I know, Shirley Leonard Sweeten, and the granddaughter of Joe and
Ruth Leonard. It was my honor to serve as Miami Nation Princess in 1974-1975. I had the
honor of traveling with our Chief across this
great country as an ambassador of goodwill.
We spoke to many groups from the President
and dignitaries of Miami University in Oxford
Ohio to classrooms full of inquisitive 3rd and
4th graders who wanted to know if I had ridden my horse to the school or what it was like
to live in a teepee. I had many opportunities
to present the Lord’s Prayer in Indian sign language. One of my most memorable presentations was the opening of our annual PowWow,
a celebration that brings together many tribes in
our Four State region. To this day, representing
my people as Tribal Princess is one of my most
treasured memories. Van and I live in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. We have four incredible daugh-
Tribal citizen Tammy Benson and husband
Van. Benson photo.
ters, beloved sons-in-law, and 15 of the most
precious grandchildren ever!
JO: Tell me about your future plans for Motive
Matters, how tribal members use your website,
and any related info you want included.
TB: The Motive Matters system has evolved
over the past 18 years, and we love teaching it
and living it now more than ever. We use it every day, and we can’t imagine doing life without the understanding and appreciation of the
gifts each Color brings.
Many times, during the final stretch to complete
the book, I would put on my RED wrist band
(some days I put one on each wrist) to remind
me to stay focused and finish strong.
I drew on my BLUE gifts as they pushed
me to finish, knowing that people would be
helped by the examples I was sharing.
I used the gifts of clarity and patience
from the WHITES as I remained steady and
self-regulated.
And, oh happy day, to have and use the
YELLOW gifts of optimism and enthusiasm
that helped me finish the project with love and
excitement!
You may have a good relationship and
want to make it a little better, or you may be
having some trouble and need a little help. We
want you to know, we understand. If you would
like to get started on the road to better relationships, go to www.MotiveMatters.com and take
the free Color Code Personality profile. You
will learn more about your unique, individual
personality, and the personalities of the people
in your life.
If you would like to attend one of our fun and
informative, in-person trainings, contact me.
Tammy@MotiveMatters.com. I’ll send you upcoming times and locations.
Our book, Wisdom from the Colors, can
be purchased on Amazon.com. Wisdom from
the Colors is a fun read, complete with knowledge and inspiration for all who are looking to
make relationships more vibrant and rewarding.
The new book “Wisdom From The Colors...”
on personal relationships, authored by Myaamia citizen Tammy Benson, is available on
Amazon.
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
5B
Restoring Bird Habitat - Carrying
On Traditions That Were Meant
to Be Erased
By Bradford Kasberg, Wetland Restoration Manager,
Audubon Great Lakes - Reprinted with Permission of the National Audubon Society.
Bradford Kasberg is a citizen of the Miami
Tribe of Oklahoma, and a consulting ecologist
to the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Office. Brad
received B.A. degrees in Geography and Anthropology at Miami University in 2012, and
a Masters of Landscape Architecture from the
University of Michigan in 2016. This article
can be found online at https://www.audubon.
org/news/working-restore-bird-habitat-i-carrytraditions-were-meant-be-erased
The 1893 World’s Fair, held in Chicago, celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. To support the
Columbian theme, city leaders raised statues of
the explorer to honor what was widely regarded
as his discovery and the subsequent conquest of
a wild and empty continent—a feat also embodied in this booming city built on drained wetlands and cut-up prairie.
Simon Pokagon, a Potawatomi scholar
from the southern Great Lakes, didn’t buy into
this narrative. At the fair, which lasted for six
months and attracted more than 27 million visitors, Pokagon handed out an essay printed on
birch bark. “In behalf of my people, the American Indians,” it opened, “I hereby declare to
you, the pale-faced race that has usurped our
lands and homes, that we have no spirit to celebrate with you the great Columbian Fair now
being held in this Chicago city, the wonder of
the world.” He saw that the “fowls of the air
withered like grass before the flame” of colonial powers. Birds and other animals were “shot
for love of power to kill” and left to rot. “Thus
our inheritance was cut off,” Pokagon wrote,
“and we were driven and scattered as sheep before the wolves.”
In Pokagon’s eyes, to make Columbus a
central figure in Chicago’s story was a further
betrayal of the Indigenous people who lived
there for millennia, and the birds and wildlife
who shared the region’s extensive wetlands. Instead, there is a deeper story to be told about this
region’s past and its original inhabitants—one
that can help us live here responsibly today and
create a more sustainable future. As a citizen
of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, a people who
call Chicago and much of what is now Illinois
and Indiana our homelands, I strive to tell this
story. And as the wetland restoration manager
for Audubon Great Lakes, this story is, for me,
one with birds at its heart.
“Chicago” is derived from Indigenous
names for this area of immense wetlands
and slow-moving rivers. To the Miami it was
šikaakonki, a place to gather wild leeks. Other Algonquian-speaking peoples had similar
names for this place. My ancestors helped to
steward these wetlands and the birds that lived
in them. They harvested vegetation, such as cattails and lilies, for food and materials for furnishings and shelter. They burned wet prairies
to thin vegetation and improve their hunting of
waterfowl and other marsh birds. Coupled with
our cultural values that prevented overharvesting, these activities helped to maintain wetland
diversity vital to the marsh bird populations.
In today’s industrialized Chicago, I carry on the tradition. Like my ancestors, I use fire
and other tools to restore biodiversity in the
same wetlands they managed, which today are
threatened by invasive species, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. As the birds that I
work to protect reveal themselves through my
binoculars, I hear the stories my community
still tells of these creatures. I see our artwork,
which demonstrates our awe and admiration for
our bird relatives. I’m reminded of the way my
tribe’s land-use practices kept habitats healthy
and sustainable, practices informed by careful
observations of phenological connections—the
way that seasonal changes in weather and the
life cycles of living beings become synchronous.
This traditional ecological knowledge,
gathered over centuries, describes plants and
animals not as lesser beings to be manipulated,
but as relatives from whom we learn and grow,
and who we help in return. Living in a good
way means maintaining that balance of relationships, keeping an eye on the well-being of plants
and animals as a reflection of our own. As a result, our languages, our stories, our agricultural
practices, and our calendars are all interrelated,
born of lessons learned through generations of
careful and consistent ecological observations
of our homelands.
Birds play a significant role in Indigenous knowledge because they are compelling
and familiar figures on the landscape. Their
responses to subtle changes in weather and
habitat conditions were as apparent to my ancestors as they are to today’s climate or migration scientists. The second month of my tribe’s
lunar calendar—aanteekwa kiilhswa, or crow
moon—occurs when American Crows begin to
mate, signaling one of the earliest transitions of
winter into spring. At this time, we know maple
sugaring should be at its peak, as slightly warmer weather encourages trees to burst with life.
The following month is cecaahkwa kiilhswa,
or Sandhill Crane moon, which denotes further
spring transitions as the cranes, our community
symbol, reappear. Then comes wiihkoowia kiilhswa, the whip-poor-will moon, when these
strange birds return to our homelands. It marks
the final spring transition and the time to plant
our first crop of corn. We even say that the Eastern Whip-poor-will’s call sounds, in our language, like “plant it!”
While I consider myself a birder, I recognize that the history of birding mirrors this
country’s colonial past. As white settlers undermined and devalued Indigenous knowledge
systems, people like John James Audubon came
to the United States to “discover” and claim
to document for the first time North American
birds that my ancestors already knew well. Today’s birders likewise tend to seek out the new
and unusual. Like any other birder, I revel in
learning how to identify new birds by observing
their behavior and delicate features. But I don’t
maintain a life list—I see those running tallies
of birds one has witnessed and identified as an
expression of a colonial concept of acquisition.
Indigenous communities, in contrast,
tend to carefully observe the regular and familiar birds of their landscape as symbols of
their unique, multilayered cultural connections.
Seeing šinkiphsa, or American Coot, year after
year may not be so exciting to some birders. But
whenever I encounter one, I think of the role
they play in one of my favorite stories of my
tribe, and the resilience it took for my ancestors
to pass these stories on to future generations. A
relationship with familiar birds is important to
Indigenous communities. It’s proof of our connection to the land.
This vast cultural knowledge is the “inheritance” that Pokagon warned Indigenous
peoples were losing. Even within his lifetime,
such observations and relations with birds had
become more difficult to maintain. By that point
Indigenous communities had already experienced hundreds of years of aggression against
Myaamia citizen Brad Kasberg is the Wetland Restoration Manager for Audubon Great
Lakes. Photo by Frankie Pedersen.
our traditional ways of life and self-sufficiency.
We were forcibly driven from our lands; in 1846
my ancestors were removed from the southern
Great Lakes to Kansas, and later to Oklahoma.
This forced relocation and the destruction of
our natural resources denied us of our traditional harvesting, trading, and migration routes.
Cultural and spiritual practices were outlawed,
and languages—hundreds of them—for all intents were banned. The threads of our knowledge systems frayed.
But that knowledge wasn’t lost. Today
it’s being rewoven into communities across the
continent. Cultural and linguistic revitalization
has become a priority across Indian Country.
My tribe had no fluent speakers in the middle
of the 20th century, but today a generation of
youth are using their language. In some instances, their first words are in Miami rather than
English. Tribal communities are exercising sovereignty rights for cultural harvesting and stewardship—rights not granted by state or federal
governments but maintained since time immemorial—and playing key roles in conservation
and climate adaptation efforts.
At the same time, broader social changes
are making American culture more inclusive
of Indigenous voices. There’s a growing push
across the country to recognize the second Monday in October not as Columbus Day—a holiday concocted to honor a man who never even
set foot on North America—but as Indigenous
Peoples’ Day, a celebration of the continent’s
deeper history and diverse tribal cultures.
Chicago’s leaders haven’t yet agreed to
recognize this holiday, but change is coming.
Here, as across the country, Black and Indigenous activists this summer led demonstrations
for racial justice. Soon after the protests, the
city removed its three statues of Columbus, two
of which dated back to that World’s Fair 127
years ago. Their views no longer obscured by
these monuments to a false past, perhaps more
people will begin to see the true history of the
land.
pisentawaataawi (let’s listen to him) - Myaamia historian George Ironstrack, Assistant Director of the Myaamia Center at Miami University, speaks well and discusses Myaamia language and culture in a podcast from the “Conversations at the Washington Library” series on
Anchor.FM. Listen at https://anchor.fm/mountvernon/episodes/179--Revitalizing-MyaamiaLanguage-and-Culture-with-George-Ironstrack-ekntr2?fbclid=IwAR3yETbIZIYzxsR3cRJh
IH_VwKfdpaDvDpgKSuEg8Z999uv9Ul1H1d2sySc
6B
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 - continued from page 1B
By Diane Hunter, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Tribal Historic Preservation Officer - Reprinted from the Aacimotaatiiyankwi Myaamia
Community Blog - posted Feb. 5, 2021
you as long as the sun shall shine or the rains fall; as long as the name not be done - There is no power to do this - We are governed by our
of Miami shall exist…Your Great Father will give you more land over own laws and subject to none other - The Miamies will never consent
the Mississippi than you have here. He will also give you money. He to leave the homes of their fathers - I also as an individual will never
will send you safe under the protection of some white friend to your new consent to do so.”
homes. He will feed you there until you get cornfields of your own; until
Commissioner Jennings asked us to reconsider, but Richardville
your hunters lay up plenty of Buffalo, Deer and Beaver.”
again repeated, “…we have given our answer - We have consulted toThe Miami National Council was not ready to answer this request gether and some days ago determined to sell none of our lands - We have
and asked time to consult among themselves. Peepakicia (Flat Belly), answered more than once that we will not sell, and still you ask us for
described as “an aged chief,” replied, “Father, we have heard what you land. We have no other answer but this to give - We will not leave our
have said. We will go and consult among ourselves, and then we will present homes - You tell us again that our Great Father loves us - His
answer you.”
acts do not show it - If he loved them he would clothe and feed them. He
J.B. Richardville pointed out that we had lives to live in the midst would not send them into the western wilderness.”
of these discussions:
Still not accepting our refusal, Commissioner Davis then said that
“Father, we have listened to what you have said to us. - We did not come he wondered if the tribe would sell part of their lands and send a party to
here prepared to give you an answer today. Your children are hungry; look at the lands in the west. He offers a new proposal, saying, “If they
they will go home and eat, and when they have deliberated and consulted should like it [the land west of the Mississippi], they and the rest of you
together, they will come back and meet you in this council-house. Then that choose to go, may then remove there, if not, they can remain at the
they will answer you. They all take you by the hand and part with you present homes.” Davis clearly does not intend to allow us to stay if we
now in friendship - You have distinctly told us of the wishes of our Great don’t like the lands to the west. It is clear that he would not keep that
father the President. When we meet you again we will be plain with you, promise. He asked that we think about it and meet the next day to discuss
and tell you what we are willing to do.” Richardville paused for “some the matter again.
minutes as if waiting for others to speak” and then said, “Father, we now
At the next day’s meeting, Richardville told the Commissioners,
part with you and go home. When I stay away long my wife scolds me.” “Father, we have nothing now to say - yesterday we said all we had to
When the Miami leaders resumed the council with the U.S. Com- say,” but Davis repeated the offer and asked again for their answer.
missioners on September 24, 1832, “Chappene a chief arose” saying,
Richardville, probably wearily, but seeing through their wiles,
“Father, You who sit before me, You wish to hear your children. They are said, “Father, we have nothing more to say on the subject. You go about
now ready to answer you. You have said a good deal to us - There is more like the fox in the night time to gather information, to steal our opinions
meaning in it than we can understand. Do not understand us as consent- - We say what we have to say in council - Genl. Tipton who sits before
ing to your propositions because we have assembled here. - In speaking me, knows that I listen not to the advice of others, that when I make up
to your red children, you say that your Great Father loves them. His con- my mind I do not waver, I am firm. What I now say to you is my deciduct contradicts this. He asks his red children to leave their homes and sion, and the decision of the Miami nation, not of others - We will sell
go into the dark west, and yet you say he loves them. Is this the love of you none of our lands.”
But Davis insistently
our Great Father? Your
asked again if we will
children cannot agree to
sell part of our lands,
your request. We have no
and Richardville intermore to say to you now.”
Chappene showed
rupted him, emphasizing
that we were not taken
the value of the land to us
in by Jennings’ flowery
and our knowledge of the
words professing Presivalue of the land to them.
dent Andrew Jackson’s
In definite terms,
he
love for the Miami peosaid, “Father, this is imple. We knew that the
possible - You see where
government’s attempted
the sun is - it is useless to
action was not that of a
put off the evil day till toloving Father. We saw
morrow - We can answer
through their lies, and we
you now - We know the
would not accept their
value of our soil as well
proposal.
as the white man can tell
Commissioner
us - Here the Great Spirit
Jennings ignored our unhas fixed our homes willingness to go west
Here are our cornfields
and tried to add pressure
and cabins - From this
by saying that they were
soil and these forests we
disappointed.
“From The 1832 negotiations between the Miami National Council and the U.S. Commissioners derive our subsistence,
your answer we cannot took place at the Forks of the Wabash. This photo shows the Wabash River at the Forks in and here we will live
tell what to say to your Huntington, IN. Photo by Meghan Dorey.
and die - I repeat, we
Great Father the Presiwill not sell an inch of
dent - Every thing is left in the dark...We must hear something more cer- our lands.”
Still persistent, Davis asked us to think about it again. Still firm,
tain from you very soon, or we must close our councils and leave here.”
Richardville responded emphatically, “Father, we think our an- Richardville repeated, “Father, our answer is already given - expect no
swer is good - you point to the west and ask us to go there - There I other - It is useless to talk on that subject further.”
shall never go, nor will my people - They are all opposed to leaving
Richardville spoke final words to Agent Marshall, “Father, you
here. They will not sell their lands. I speak not for myself, but for my know what we have decided upon; your children want their annuities people - We hope we have done our Great Father no harm in rejecting his They wish to go home and so do I - My wife wishes to see me.”
Marshall assented, and the council ended.
offers, and we hope our Great Father will not be displeased with his red
In this blog post, we have seen that after the passage of the 1830
children for exercising their own judgment in their own affairs.” Richardville stressed our national sovereignty, which gives us the right to Indian Removal Act, the U.S. government put pressure on the Miami
make our own decisions for our own people. It is due to our sovereignty, National Council to agree that Myaamiaki would remove west of the
Mississippi. Our leaders stood their ground. In next month’s blog post on
after all, that the U.S. government was in council with us.
Not taking no for an answer, Commissioner John Davis then said March 5, we will see that the Miami National Council continues to resist
that President Jackson thinks he is doing a good thing for Miami people Removal, in spite of unrelenting pressure from the U.S.
by sending us west. He hedges their proposal, saying that the President
“does not expect the old men of your nation to leave their present homes - - - - and go to the west. - If the young men will sell, their Great Father will... Note: Regarding the use of “father” in addressing the commissioners,
send them there safe...If they will not sell all their lands, they will per- Myaamia diplomacy has long been structured through the use of kinhaps sell a part - We wish to know, and know distinctly what they will ship terms. Prior to European arrival, common terms that were used to
do.” Richardville emphasized our sovereignty, but Davis directly threat- describe relationships between allied groups were: grandfather, uncle,
ened that sovereignty by claiming that Miami people might have to fol- elder brother, and younger sibling. Beginning in the 1700s, the French
low U.S. laws, rather than Miami National Council decisions. “Unless positioned themselves as a “father” within diplomatic circles. After the
they consent to sell the laws of the white man must be extended over end of the Seven Years War, the British took up this title of “father,” and
them.”
following the end of the American Revolution the United States did the
Richardville did not accept Davis’s threat and said, “Father, I have same. Myaamia people expected a father to be a loving and kind providtold you I do not speak for myself but for my people - I am appointed er, which contrasted with Euro-Americans patriarchal understandings of
to speak for them - What you hear from me is the voice of the Miamies. fatherhood that were centered on ownership and control. By the 1830s,
Father, a few minutes ago I told you that your red children would not go Myaamia leaders understood this difference, but continued to use the
to the Mississippi country - They wish to stay on their ancient lands. You word “father” in negotiations, in part, because it was ingrained protosay your laws will be extended over them if they remain - This can- col.
Follow articles about the forced removal of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
on the Myaamia Community Blog at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
7B
Myaamia Dictionary 2.0: Why the Update?
Posted to Aacimotaatiiyankwi Community Blog by Jarrid Baldwin, Sept. 29, 2020
At the start of September, we released a new Myaamia dictionary app.
Those of you who were regular users of the old Myaamia dictionary app
may notice that the new app looks and performs differently. We want to
take a moment and use this post to explain why these changes were necessary.
Originally, our online dictionary – Myaamiaatawaakani – and our online research tool – the Miami-Illinois Digital Archive (MIDA) – were
built to work independently. Myaamiaatawaakani was built for language
learners to be able search in English or Myaamiaataweenki for words and
phrases that we want to use in our daily life. It includes sound files for
most entries so that learners can practice pronunciation. MIDA was built
for our linguistic team to use in the ongoing research necessary for the
reconstruction of our language. The goal of this research software is to
bring digital copies of all known Miami-Illinois language documents into
one virtual space. Using this tool, researchers can then transcribe and
analyze all of these sources to meet the needs of our ongoing language
development.
These separate development paths created challenges in data management and software maintenance. In response to these challenges, the
original Myaamia online dictionary, associated apps, and Miami-Illinois
Digital Archive have been merged into the new Indigenous Languages
Digital Archive (ILDA) software suite. In addition to streamlining data
and software maintenance, the new ILDA platform is more stable and has
stronger security features. These changes will significantly improve our
ability to maintain and develop our language’s online presence. ILDA
contains raw data from archival materials that are challenging to use and
understand. Therefore, ILDA should always be used with caution and
with consultation by our linguists.
The ILDA software suite has been in development for several
years through the Myaamia Center with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. ILDA was created for the National Breath
of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages to respond to the
growing needs of tribal communities nationwide who are revitalizing
their languages from documentation, or what we call “archive-based revitalization.” ILDA is also more stable because it is hosted by Miami
University’s Information Technology Services secure data center. To
assure adequately trained programming support, ILDA is implemented
using industry-standard programming languages and database technologies. As of the fall of 2020, ILDA is being utilized by six tribal communities and will undergo further development based on its growing use.
Visit the Miami-Illinois ILDA website to learn more at https://mc.miamioh.
edu/ilda-myaamia/dictionary
Visit the National Breath of Life website to learn more at https://miamioh.edu/myaamia-center/breath-of-life/index.html
Tips for Using the Myaamia Online Dictionary App
Posted to Aacimotaatiiyankwi Community Blog by Jarrid Baldwin, Dec. 1, 2020
aya ceeki, the purpose of this post is to help you understand how the
new Myaamia Dictionary website and mobile app work and to give you
some tips for how to search on them effectively. For those who have yet
to download the dictionary app, check out the Dictionary Update post for
instructions on how to set up the app in just a few easy steps. We released
an updated version of the website and mobile app for Android and Apple
devices on September 1, 2020. You can learn more about this change in
our Myaamia Dictionary 2.0: Why the Change post.
When you open the mobile app, the three options are “search”,
“browse”, and “feedback.” If you’re using the website, these options appear in the top right corner of the screen. The search function allows
you to search the whole dictionary, in Myaamia or English, by word or
phrase. If you are interested in just scrolling through and seeing all of
the content in alphabetical order, use the browse button. The last option,
feedback, is for requesting a word or phrase you cannot find or if you
would like to report a problem, such as an incorrect sound file. You can
watch a walkthrough for mobile devices of these functions in our Intro to
Myaamia Dictionary Video on YouTube.
The dictionary is organized by what we call “entry headers,”
which are pieces of a word that have a meaning but still need something
added to them to make a full word or sentence. These entry headers won’t
be visible on the app in order to simplify the layout for small screens, but
it is at the top of every entry on the web version. Within these entry headers there will be a few different subsections depending on what kind of
word they are (noun, verb, etc.). A verb, for example, will have the subsections “basic forms,” “commands,” and “example sentences” while a
noun will have “basic forms” and “example sentences.” These are meant
to help you with the most common and ready-to-use words and phrases
so you can use them immediately. There are also audio files attached to
every word for when you want to practice speaking. Make sure your mobile device is not in “silent” mode in order to hear the sound files!
Now, on to the most important part, searching the dictionary. The
first thing you need to know is that the dictionary is a work in progress
and we are constantly improving the search function. There are a ton
of Myaamia words and phrases on the dictionary. If you’re searching
for a common or useful phrase, then it is most likely on the dictionary.
If you’re not finding what you’re looking for, it might be because of
how you’re searching. Searching the dictionary is different from using a
search engine, like Google or Bing.
Here are some tips and tricks:
•
Spelling is important! No matter which language you are searching in, make sure your spelling is accurate.
•
When searching for a phrase, the order of your words might affect
whether or not you find the translation. For example, try searching “turn
the light on” and “turn on the light.” Why does only the second one have
search results even though they mean the same thing? This is because the
search function only searches exact matches. Be sure to think about what
you type and try different variations if your translation doesn’t come up.
•
When searching for something that you can say many different
ways, try rephrasing your search if you get no results. For example, if
you search “I am working out,” nothing will appear, but if you search “I
am exercising” then you will find what you are looking for.
•
When a lot of results show up in your search, sometimes your answer may be down the list quite a bit so do not be afraid to keep scrolling.
You can watch a walkthrough for mobile devices of these search function
tips and tricks in our Searching Tips and Tricks for Myaamia Dictionary
app Video on YouTube.
Aacimotaatiiyankwi: A Myaamia Community Blog
for Knowledge Sharing
Reprinted from the Aacimotaatiiyankwi Community Blog
Over the last couple of years, you may have heard Aacimotaatiiyankwi fairly frequently, especially on social
media. Aacimotaatiiyankwi is a blog about the Myaamia
community written for and by Myaamiaki.
When the blog first began, there were long articles
about Myaamia history that would be left out of most
history texts. Periodically, a weather report in Myaamiaataweenki would be posted. It was created as a way to
connect our community across time and place.
Today, you will see not only all of that but a broader
range of posts. Authors use their various forms of expertise to talk about topics of interest to our community. Posts reflect on reclaimed cultural practices such
as naming, our ongoing language and educational work,
and even some psychology related to our collective experiences. The goal is to create a place where we can
talk about what it means to be Myaamia and learn about
our community.
Aacimotaatiiyankwi allows us to tell our own
story and share it publicly. The focus on educational materials has allowed non-Myaamia people to find answers
that would otherwise be unavailable. We can reinforce
our position as a living people and share our contemporary experiences.
You can find all of our posts at https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/ with new posts every week! If you
would prefer, you can also sign up (at the bottom of
the webpage) to have new posts sent to your email. The
editorial staff is open to questions, comments, and feedback for future posts, and just to help you learn more!
The Myaamia community blog “Aacimotaatiiyankwi” is a knowledge sharing space
written by Myaamia people for the Tribe’s dispersed community of over 6,000 citizens.
Some of the topics covered by the blog:
- Ciinkwia Minohsaya ‘Painted Thunderbird Robe’ Series
-An Introduction to Myaamia Nouns and Animacy
-Four Versions of a Little Turtle Speech at Greenville, 1795
-Ciinkwia waahpyaaci ‘Thunder has Arrived’
-Making Myaamia Mahkisina
-Waawaahsinaakwahki ‘It Shimmers’ (Ribbonwork)
-Eehsenaamišipoohkiiyankwi ‘Maple Sugaring’
-Mahkoonsihkwa’s Experience with Myaamia Ribbonwork
-Continuing Pressure to Remove West - Removal Series
-Maple Sugaring: Myaamia Student Perspectives
-iiši peesintamankwi aalhsoohkaana ‘How we Listen to Winter Stories’
-A History of Eewansaapita
8B
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
About the Relationship Between the Miami Tribe and
Miami University
By Kara Strass - Aacimotaatiiyankwi Community Blog Post, Dec. 8, 2020
In 2022, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and
Miami University will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their unique relationship. The relationship began when Chief Forest Olds visited Miami University in 1972, and it has since
evolved from relationships between individual
people into a multi-layered collaboration built
on trust, respect, and a shared commitment to
education. Myaamia people may have a relative who attended Miami University, visit Miami for the Myaamiaki Conference or an Athletics event, or see Miami faculty or students at
a Tribal event. But what does it really mean to
have a relationship between a Tribal Nation and
a University?
For the first couple of decades of the
relationship, it was focused primarily on educating the Miami University community about
the Miami Tribe. After Chief Floyd Leonard
was elected in 1974, he would often come to the
University to educate about the Tribe as a contemporary Nation. He would often bring with
him other people from the Tribe or even leaders
from other Tribes to attend University events
and class visits. As the relationship continued
to deepen, the focus shifted to the possibility of
educating Myaamia students as well. The first
Myaamia students enrolled at Miami University
as part of the Heritage Award in 1991. What began as simply a tuition waiver for Myaamia students has evolved into a 4-year program where
Myaamia students take a series of courses together, attend Myaamia Center events, and receive individualized support and advising. To
date, we have had 95 graduates of the Myaamia
Heritage Program, and there are 30 Myaamia
students currently enrolled at Miami.
A second main outcome of the relationship was the creation of the Myaamia Center.
The Center (originally the Myaamia Project)
was created in 2001 when the Tribe approached
the University to see if they could provide support for language revitalization work. The University agreed to provide support for one position for three years. Soon after, Daryl Baldwin
arrived on campus and began to focus on creating materials for Tribal programs, including the
creation of the Myaamia Heritage Courses for
Myaamia students at Miami, the Eewansaapita
summer youth camps, and the Myaamiaki Conference. In its almost 20 years, the Myaamia
Center has grown slowly and steadily, and today has 6 full-time and 8 part-time staff who are
focused on language and cultural revitalization
and educational development.
One way that the Myaamia
Center is able to do the work of
language and cultural revitalization is through collaboration with
faculty and students at Miami.
One great example of this is the
partnership that has been created
with the College of Engineering
and Computing (CEC). Because
the field of language revitalization is so new, there were few
technologies available for the
Center to use when using archival documents. By turning to
the CEC, we were able to work
together with CEC students and
staff to design software that met
our own research and teaching
needs. The Myaamia Center continues to have CEC masters students who have apprenticeships
at the Center and undergraduate
students who work on projects
for their senior capstones. These
projects have helped the Center to
create the Indigenous Languages
Digital Archive (ILDA), the Myaamia Online Dictionary website
and app, as well as the Ethnobotanical Database. Through these
types of projects, the Myaamia
Center is able to create person- Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Forest Olds, left, visits with
alized systems that meet our Miami University President Phillip Shriver during the Chief’s
visit to the University campus in 1974.
needs, and the students get realMiami University archived photo.
world experience and are able to
learn about the Miami Tribe and
a week-long University-wide celebration in the
our unique work. This is only one example of fall. For those of you who have attended our
many partnerships across campus that lead to Athletics celebrations in the past, this will feel
mutually beneficial outcomes for the Myaamia familiar but expanded to include the entire MiCenter and the faculty and staff on campus.
ami campus. We will share all of these events
We are all very excited to celebrate the and more through email and on Myaamia Center
50th-anniversary milestone of this relationship social media, so be sure to follow us on Facein 2022. The celebration will kick-off at the book, Twitter, and Instagram. We hope to see
2022 Winter Gathering in Oklahoma. As usual, many of you in 2022 to help us celebrate all
we will invite many Miami University faculty, of the work that has been done both at Miami
staff, and students who will be able to learn University and through the Tribe to make the
about the Tribe and our relationship with Mi- ongoing relationship so successful.
ami through experiencing games, dances, and
You can learn more about the relationstorytelling. The next Myaamiaki Conference ship between the Miami Tribe and Miami Uniwill take place April 9, 2022, which is where versity on the Miami Tribe Relations website
we will share about the work of the Myaamia at https://www.miamioh.edu/miami-tribe-relaCenter with the Miami University and Myaamia tions/index.html
communities. Additionally, there will also be
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Floyd Leonard, left,
and Dr. Phillip Shriver, President Emeritus, Miami
University. Photo by Hugh Morgan.
The story of the relationship shared between the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami
University in Oxford, OH, spans fifty years of partnership, reciprocity and respect.
From Chief Forest Olds momentous visits to campus in 1972 and 1974, to the friendship shared between Chief Floyd Leonard and Dr. Phillip Shriver, the investments
in building a true and abiding relationship are well documented and highly visible.
Pictured, at upper left, Chief Leonard and Dr. Shriver (holding Myaamia miincipi);
Miami University President Greg Crawford (above center) plays mahkisina during a
visit to Oklahoma (photo by Karen L. Baldwin); the addition of Myaamia language to
the University alma-mater (far left); the Myaamia Heritage Logo (below) - the icon of
this incredible relationship.
Myaamia Publications - Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021 - Section C - Noošonke Siipionki Myaamionki
Toopeeliciki: Highlighting Accomplishments and Honors Bestowed on Miami Citizens!
Late breaking news:
President Biden nominates Myaamia Center Executive Director
Daryl Baldwin to the National Council on the Humanities.
John Bickers to
Complete Ph.D.
By John Bickers
aya ceeki. aamaawia weenswiaani niila myaamia mihtohseenia. Seekaahkweeta neehi Palaanswa eeweemakiki. Hey everyone, my name
is John Bickers and I’m a citizen of the Miami
Tribe of Oklahoma. I’m a member of the Godfroy family descending from Seekaahkweeta
and her husband Francois Godfroy.
I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at the
Ohio State University where I received my
Master’s degree in May 2019. Last November
I also passed my general examination, which
signaled the end my course work and allowed
me to focus on writing my dissertation, which
will ideally be published as a book after I finish
my program. The dissertation, tentatively titled
“The Miami Nation: A Middle Path for Indigenous Sovereignty,” is a political history of the
tribe starting with the creation of a centralized
Myaamia government after the Treaty of Greenville (1795) under Pinšiwa (Chief Jean Baptiste
Richardville) and traces how our tribal government developed throughout the nineteenth century until the ratification of our first constitution in 1939 as the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
under Katakimaankwa (Chief Harley Palmer).
First and foremost, my project emphasizes that the Miami Nation is and has always
been a sovereign nation and our history needs
to be interpreted through that lens. I believe
that our government and our leaders were critical to our survival as a people even today, and I
try in my work to make that point. To that end,
my dissertation will pay attention to our institutional development, how our ancestors created offices like Principal Chief, Second Chief,
Councilpersons, and Secretary-Treasurer and
how those roles functioned historically and perhaps differently than they do today. Additionally, my dissertation examines the various political, economic, and social policies the Miami
National Council adopted, and the community
debates surrounding them, especially: tribal
citizenship laws determining who could be considered a member of the tribe, the introduction
of private property through privately owned
reservations and allotments, their experimentation with American education programs, and of
course how our Government addressed our two
removals from Indiana to Kansas and Kansas to
the Indian Territory (Oklahoma).
Over the last several years, I have seen
many Myaamia people get Ph.D.’s in their fields
and I am honored to be following in those footsteps.
John P. Bickers
Kara Strass
Named to Notre
Dame Domer
Dozen List
Staff Article
Kara Strass, Director of Miami Tribe Relations
at the Myaamia Center at Miami University, has
been named one of the 2021 Domer Dozen by
the University of Notre Dame’s Alumni Association. Each fall, Notre Dame honors twelve
young alumni who have shown extraordinary
dedication to making a difference and have
made significant contributions in one of the four
core tenets of the Alumni Association’s mission
statement – faith, service, learning and work.
In 2016, Kara Strass ’11 joined the Myaamia Center as a graduate assistant while pursuing her master’s degree in Student Affairs in
Higher Education (SAHE) at Miami University. After graduating in 2018, Kara joined the
Myaamia Center staff. In January 2020, Strass
formally transitioned into the role of Director
of Miami Tribe Relations, where she is responsible for strengthening the relationship between
the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University, as well as for providing advising and
support to Myaamia students.
Originally from Huntington, Indiana,
Strass attended the University of Notre Dame
and graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s in biological sciences. After graduation, she joined
the Orr Fellowship, which places recent graduates in start-up companies in Indiana. In her
time in the fellowship, she worked at BioConvergence (now Singota Solutions) as a Project
Manager for clients working on pharmaceutical
development.
Strass’ involvement in the Native American Student Association at Notre Dame impacted how she thought about support for Native
Kara Strass. Photo by Scott Kissell,
Miami University.
American students on college campuses, eventually leading her to the SAHE program at Miami. Her graduate studies focused on Student
Development Theory and how to apply these
theories to make Myaamia students successful
in their college endeavors. Her work at the Myaamia Center includes serving as a liaison between the Miami Tribe and Miami University,
providing education and outreach to the broader Miami University community, and planning
for programs including National Breath of Life
Workshops and the Myaamiaki Conference.
Tori Levy Writes a New Children’s
Book
Staff Article
Miami Tribe citizen and 2019 graduate of Miami University, Tori Levy, works as an editor
at Publications International where she edits
children’s books. She recently had a unique opportunity to move beyond just editing the books
and decided to write her own. Tori’s book, ByeBye Bully, which she co-authored, is a graphic
novel that teaches children about empathy and
kidness. Through it’s comic book style layout,
the book provides eight scenarios for how kids
can stand up to a bully.
Having seen so many children’s books
through the editing process, Tori and her company wanted to publish their own that addressed
different important topics, like bullying. When
this opportunity landed on Tori’s desk, she came
up with the idea of the graphic novel style that
could provide examples for how to deal with a
bully. From there, she did research into other
books that address the topic and ways that you
can best grab the attention of young readers,
through both the content and the imagery. Tori
recognizes that this is a tough topic to teach
young children about and that books can be a
great way to help kids learn, “Bullying is such
an important subject that should be addressed,
and I feel like it is sometimes hard to address it
with little kids through talking. Books are such
a great medium to introduce the topic and how
it could be handled through behavior choices
and how you could help your friends out in situations that you see around you.”
Tori didn’t expect to ever be writing childrens books, but she has always loved books
Tori Levy
and working with children, so she decided to
jump at this exciting opportunity. She isn’t
sure whether she will be writing another book,
but hopes to have that opportunity again soon.
Bye-Bye Bully also won the Mom’s Choice
Gold Award for Children’s picture books that
address values & life lessons. If you want to
read Bye-Bye Bully for yourself, you can purchase a copy online, including on Amazon.
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Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
Ezekiel Cooper
Jared Nally
Paul Eikenberry
East Central Junior High School in Tulsa, OK.
Ezekiel is a straight A student and was
voted Teacher’s favorite by his ELA teacher. He
is enjoying a very good year and is interested
in becoming a “virus chaser” to find cures and
vaccines for them.
Ezekiel is a student in the Miami Tribe
of Oklahoma Eemamwiciki Summer Youth Cultural Education Programs. He is a descendent
of Oklahoma allotee Isadore Labadie.
Myaamia citizen Jared Nally has been awarded
First Place in the Student Category for Print/
Online Best Editorial at the 2020 National Native Media Awards hosted by the Native American Journalist Association. The honor was bestowed on Nally during a virtual ceremony on
October 15, 2020.
Nally is the Editor-In-Chief of Haskell
Indian Nations University’s “The Indian Leader”, the country’s oldest Native American student newspaper. “The Indian Leader” was also
honored with First Place in General Excellence
in Print for overall student coverage.
Paul Eikenberry of Neola, IA was among 900
undergraduate students at the University of
Iowa named to the President’s List for the 2020
fall semester. To be included on the list, a student must have a minimum 4.0 grade point average in all academic subjects. Paul, who has
been named to the President’s List every semester, is a student in the Iowa’s Tippie College
of Business and is majoring in Business Direct
Admission. Paul is the son of Myaamia citizen
Rachel Eikenberry and husband Mike of Neola,
IA. Mayaawi Teepi!
Ezekiel Cooper Named Jared Nally Honored
Paul Eikenberry
7th Grade Salutatorian in 2020 National Native Named to University of
Myaamia citizen Ezekiel Cooper was named Media Awards
Iowa President’s List
Salutatorian of his 7th grade class this year, at
Myaamia Artist Katrina Mitten’s Work on
Display at Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery of
American Art
Myaamia artist Katrina Mitten of Huntington,
IN, is no stranger to winning awards for her
beautiful, handmade Myaamia beaded designs.
Her creative works have won prizes at prestigious shows including the Heard Museum and
Santa Fe Indian Market.
In April 2020 First American Art Magazine hosted a mask contest with up to 3 entries
per artist. Mitten entered the following pieces
“You may NOT kiss the bride” , “Waiting for
Spring” & “MMIW” (missing and murdered indigenous women.) She won a Judges Choice
Award with “You may NOT kiss the bride”.
Because of this contest, curators with
the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery of American Art saw her mask titled “MMIW” and acquired it along with two other masks from other
artists. The masks were displayed at the top of
the Grand Stair case of the Renwick Museum of
American Art Washington, D.C.
Katrina Mitten
Kallie Fenscke
Kallie Fenscke
Honored Ahead of
National Championship
Kallie Fenscke, from Broken Arrow, OK, is a
5’ 5” powerhouse setter for the Johnson County
Community College volleyball team. In her
second season at JCCC, she was honored twice
by Kansas Jayhawk’s Community College Conference as Division II Player of the Week ahead
of the Team’s Conference, District and National
Championship titles.
Kallie has committed to Drury University to continue her education and volleyball
career.
She is the daughter of Tribal citizen Corrie (Lankford) Fenscke and husband Brad and is
the great-niece of Chief Douglas Lankford.
Made by Myaamia artist Katrina Mitten, this
mask is titled “MMIW” (Missing and Murdered Indigneous Women). The mask is in the
collection of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery of American Art in Washington, D.C.
Josephine Cirullo, grand-daughter of Myaamia
artist Katrina Mitten, models her grandmother’s mask which is now in the collection of the
Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery of American
Art in Washington, D.C.
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
3C
Myaamia citizen Ivalah Allen and her husband Randy took social distancing seriously during the 2020 annual General Council meeting, placing
their chairs on the Tribe’s lacrosse field located right behind the meeting pavillion. Ivalah, who is Associate Professor of Vocal Music at Fort
Hays State University, sang the Lord’s Prayer at the opening of the meeting as Miami Nation Princess Tabby Watson performed the prayer in
sign language. Photo by Karen L. Baldwin.
Kweehsitawankwi - Honoring the Memory
of Dr. Richard Nault
By Bobbe Burke, Honorary Tribal Member and Friend
Miami University and the Miami Tribe lost a
dear and special friend with the passing of Dr.
Richard Nault on October 21, 2020 at his home
in Oxford, Ohio. Dick was a valued leader and
integral member of the team from Miami University that helped build the strong Miami-Miami Tribe partnership that exists today and will
be 50 years old in 2022.
Dick came to Miami in 1983 and in 1992
moved to Student Affairs, the branch of the University assigned in 1983 to shepherd the young
relationship with the Miami Tribe. Dick served
as Dean of Students (1992-2002), working
closely with Vice President Dr. Myrtis Powell,
and after Dr. Powell’s retirement, was appointed Vice President (2002-2008). The position of
Vice President for Student Affairs was the official university liaison to the Miami Tribe during
Dr. Powell and Dick’s years in that position.
Two significant events occurred during Dick’s tenure that solidified this unique
relationship. Miami University and the Miami
Tribe signed a Memorandum of Understanding
in 2006 committing to continue collaborative
and educational initiatives of value to both into
the future. In 2008, a jointly signed Memorandum of Agreement established specific details
about the operation of the Myaamia Center on
the Miami University campus. A great deal of
credit for the growth leading to what we know
today is a result of Dick’s leadership, personal
investment and support.
In 2004, Dick’s introductory remarks before Chief Leonard, Julie Olds and Daryl Baldwin made a presentation to the MU Board of
Trustees expressed how proud he was about the
Miami-Miami Tribe relationship.
“In 1972, Forest Olds, Chief of the Miami
Tribe of Oklahoma, visited the Miami campus
and began conversations with President Phillip
Shriver that established a relationship between
Miami University and the Miami Tribe that, in
my view, is one of the most distinguished and
meritorious chapters in Miami University history.”
Dick’s first trip to Oklahoma was in June
2000 to attend the very first Miami Tribe Pow
wow held in the large arena of the Miami Fairgrounds. An added bonus during that trip was
the early morning breakfasts at the old Townsman restaurant where Dick had a chance to
catch up with Kimberly Wade who had recently returned home after graduating from MU in
1999. Kimberly shared these comments.
“Dr. Nault embodied Grace beyond that
of anyone I ever encountered. He always had
the time for a friend and was fully engaged in
everything he did. He remembered every detail
of your conversations and had an unparalleled
ability to make you feel loved and cherished.
Often I would find a heartfelt handwritten card
in the mail, with the only special occasion being that he wanted me to know how valued our
friendship was to him. After I left Miami, he
brought my nephew and me to the University
for a recruitment trip, and instead of feeling
pressured to become an MU student, Dr. Nault
made it clear that he wanted what was best for
my nephew whether Miami U was his choice or
not.”
Dick invested personally in getting to
know the Myaamia community and he enjoyed
mingling with everyone at July Annual Meetings, especially before that event was combined
with the Pow wow weekend. In 2003, he went
home with a lovely inlaid wooden box that the
Tribe gifted him for being such a valuable university leader and friend. Receiving that gift
was a special honor for him.
Additional trips Dick made included
helping host a dinner at the Longhouse that celebrated the Honorary Degree of Humane Letters
that Chief Leonard received at the May 2005
Miami University commencement. Guests on
another trip included Fred Wall, Chair of MU
Board of Trustees, and his wife Bonnie, and a
year later Dick traveled with the new MU President David Hodge and his wife Valerie.
For his last Pow wow trip in 2008, Dick
invited Mike Scott, the president of the student
body to accompany him. Mike shared these
comments about that trip.
“To this day, I retain the file that Dr.
Nault encouraged me to assemble prior to the
trip, filled with documents and articles that afforded me a degree of cultural competency, and
ultimately primed my mind and my heart for the
lessons I would soon learn. We met with tribal
leaders, fellow Miami students and their families, and community members at large while
enjoying the annual Tribal Powwow festivities.
One of his superpowers was his incredible ability to identify those moments when students
were open to transformation, and gently guide
them down the path of discovery.”
The only Winter Gathering trip Dick
made was in January 2014 when he joined a
large contingent of MU faculty and staff who
participated in the ribbon cutting festivities at
the Geboe property.
It was impressive to me that in 2008, he
rearranged his very busy calendar to attend the
funeral of Chief Leonard with several of us.
Long after his retirement, Dick continued
to attend Myaamiaki Conferences and spoke often of how touched he was when the Men’s Glee
The late Dr. Richard “Dick” Nault and late
Myaamia Chief Floyd Leonard. Two highly
influential advocates for the relationship between the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University. Archived photo.
The late Dr. Richard “Dick” Nault and Tribal
citizen and Miami University graduate Kimberly Wade. Archived photo.
Club first sang the two new verses of the Miami
alma mater in the Myaamia language.
For a personal note, I thank Dick for being such a supportive and encouraging supervisor, for personally nurturing both students and
staff, for being the gracious and loving person
he was to everyone, and for always caring about
my children with me. His many notes of encouragement, filled with profuse compliments,
helped me believe that my work at Miami did
make a difference. Dick Nault was a blessing
in my life and I miss him greatly. I sweetly remember his incredible and infectious laugh,
and I will forever feel fortunate that he was my
friend.
Notice: Due to construction, camping spaces may not be available
during the 2021 annual General Council meeting. Contact Tera
Hatley at thatley@miamination.com, or by phone at 918-541-1324,
for information
4C
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
waanantakhšinka “Lying quietly”
Christopher Joseph Nagy , age 60, passed Virginia Lee Underhill, lifetime Miami
away early on Saturday morning, Dec. 5, 2020,
at his home rural Kendallville, Indiana, after
years of battling cancer.
Chris fought cancer like a warrior until
his last breath. He is at peace now and resting
comfortably in the arms of Jesus.
Chris was born in Allen County, Indiana, on
Aug. 17, 1960, to Augustus and Catherine
(Strack) Nagy.
He married Susan Marie Bushong on
Aug. 20, 1982, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
He was employed with Parkview Health
System in Fort Wayne.
Chris was a member of the Miami Tribe
of Oklahoma.
He enjoyed hunting and target shooting.
A Sunday well spent for Chris was watching
a Chicago Bears football game. He was also a
longtime Komets Hockey fan and enjoyed going to the Komets games.
Chris also loved summertime and he was
always ready for a good party. He enjoyed outdoor barbecues, great music and a beer in his
hand.
He will be deeply missed by so many
that loved him. His bravery will never be forgotten.
Survivors include his wife of 38 years,
Susan Nagy, of Kendallville; daughters, Brandi
and Giovanni Thieme, of Lawrence, Indiana,
and Gabrielle Nagy, of Kendallville; son, Aaron
Nagy and Jackie Greer, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; one granddaughter, Harper Nagy; father,
Augustus “Gus” Nagy, of Fort Wayne; brother,
Matthew Nagy, of Fort Wayne; sisters, Laura
Nagy, of Fort Wayne, Mary Gatton, of Fort
Wayne, Catherine Mowry, of Fort Wayne and
Julia Rhoades, of Fort Wayne; and several nieces; nephews; great-nieces; and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother,
Catherine, in 2013.
Visitation was held on Thursday, Dec.
10, 2020, from 3-7 p.m., at Hite Funeral Home
in Kendallville.
Mass of Christian Burial was held on
Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, at 11 a.m., at St. Mary’s
Catholic Church in Avilla.
Memorial donations may be made to his
family.
resident and a member of the Miami Tribe of
Oklahoma, was called home to be with the Lord
on October 3, 2020. She was preceded in death
by her husband Jack Lee Underhill, her parents,
Tom and Ethel Moore, her sisters Pearl Goomda, Little Dee Moore, Emma Moore Baty, Esther Jay, Mary Gensicke Cline and Her brother
Chief Lewis Moore and Clarence Moore and
sister – in – law Ethel Moore which passed on
September 30, 2020.
Virginia is survived by her two daughters, Pearl Kay Underhill Russell of Commerce,
OK and Carol Larkin of Miami, OK. 5 grandchildren Kaprina Means, Wesley Easter, Richard Dixon, Lee Nunn and T.C. Madill, 12 great
grandchildren, 10 great great grandchildren, 3
nieces and 6 nephews.
Virginia most affectionately known as
“Nannie” was a woman of many talents. She
was a world renowned cook, master seamstress
and comedian extraordinaire. She loved gardening and being in her garden. But her life’s
crowning achievement and greatest joy was her
family.
Graveside services were held at 10:30
a.m. Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at G.A.R.
Cemetery in Miami, OK. Pastor Howie Moss
officiated. Native American Rites were conducted by Chief Doug Lanford. Wesley Easter,
Zack Means, Richard Dixon, Allen Ray Easter,
Levi Means and Thomas Oliver Nault served as
pallbearers. Virginia’s family sat up with her
at the Miami Tribe’s longhouse, also known
as the Ethel Miller Moore Culture Educational Center in Miami, OK. The building sits on
land that was a part of her grandmother Ethel
Miller Moore’s original allotment. The Services
were placed in the care of the Paul Thomas Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Miami,
OK. Online condolences may be made at www.
paulthomasfuneralhomes.com
Virginia Lee Underhill
Christopher Joseph Nagy
OBITUARY, BIRTH
MARRIAGE, GRADUATION
AND OTHER
FAMILY SUBMISSIONS
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma citizens and
family are encouraged to submit obituaries, birth and marriage announcements,
graduation and other achievements to this
Myaamia Community publication. Send
detailed text and a color, or black and
white, photo to
the Cultural Resources Office at mtocro@
gmail.com
Photo resolution - 300 dpi
Minimum photo size 3” x 3”
Formats: tif, jpg, pdf, psd
Jon A. Marks , 67 passed away suddenly
Friday January 15, 2021 at his home in Fort
Wayne, IN .
He was born July 30, 1953 in Fort Wayne,
IN., to the late John and D. Elaine (Farr) Marks,
whom survives.
Jon was a Vietnam War Veteran with the
U.S. Marine Corp, with four years of active
service and six years with the Army National
Guard.
He was a member of the SW Conversation Club. Jon worked at Halls Restaurants until
he retired on a disability.
Jon loved fishing, spending time outdoors, telling stories and picking on his nieces
and nephews. He made friends wherever he
went and was always a very generous person.
Jon was especially proud of his Indian
heritage and was a member of the Miami Tribe
of Oklahoma.
He is survived by his mother Della
“Elaine” Marks of Fort Wayne, IN; siblings
Vickie Iron, Ricky (Heidi) Marks, Bruce Marks,
Leonard Marks, sister Judy (John) Slatton.
Jon A. Marks
Veteran
Margaret Adelaide “Peggy” McCord of
Miami, OK passed from this life Sunday, April
11, 2021 at her home. She was 83.
Peggy was born December 27, 1937 in
Miami, OK to Joseph Van and Dolly Ruth (Fell)
Olds. She was a descendant of Chief David Geboe. She had lived in the Miami area most of
her life.
Peggy worked as a Deputy Court Clerk
in Small Claims and Traffic Court at Ottawa
County Courthouse for 22 years retiring in
2000. She was a member of the First Baptist
Church in Miami, OK.
Peggy was preceded in death by her husband Bill McCord in 2013, 1 great granddaughter Serenity Dorey, her parents and 1 brother Joe
Don Olds. Survivors include 1 daughter Melisa
Palmer and husband Tony of Miami, OK, 1 sister Linda Prater of Miami, OK, 2 grandchildren
Kalo Price and Matthew Dorey, 4 great grandchildren Spencer Dorey, Jensen Dorey, Ethan
McDonald and Josiah Dorey and 3 great-great
grandchildren.
Peggy’s family sat up with her in the
Chief David Geboe Allotment House located on
the Geboe allotment, NW of Miami in the Miami Tribe Reservation area.
Graveside services were held at 1:00
p.m. Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at the Myaamia
Heritage Cemetery, N.W. of Miami, OK.
Rev. Geoff Buffalo officiated and Native
American Rites were conducted by Miami Tribe
Chief Douglas Lankford. The family received
friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday evening at the
Geboe House. Services were placed in the care
of the Paul Thomas Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Miami, OK. Online condolences
may be made at www.paulthomasfuneralhomes.
com.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in
memory of Margaret Adelaide “Peggy” McCord please visit our Tribute Store.
MYAAMIA
HERITAGE CEMETERY
Tribal citizens may reserve burial
plots at no cost at the Myaamia
Heritage Cemetery. Contact Tera
Hatley at thatley@miamination.
com or by phone at 918-541-1324.
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
peenaalinta “One who is born”
Olive Asami Gall
Myaamia citizen Mika Leonard and husband
Ryan Gall announce the birth of their daughter, Olive Asami (Morning Beauty in Japanese)
Gall. Olive was born in Denver, CO on September 2, 2020. She weighed 6 lbs, 7 oz and
measured 19.5”.
Olive’s maternal grandparents are Myaamia citizen Joe Leonard and wife Etsuko. Her
paternal grandparents are William and Cheri
Gall.
Olive’s maternal great-grandparents are
the late Chief Floyd Leonard and wife Pat.
Mika Leonard is a graduate of Miami
University and is a member of the Board of Directors of Miami Nation Enterprises.
About the
Tribal Medical
Benefit Card
Elders, Disabled Tribal
Citizens, Veterans and
Active Duty Military
tribal members are eligible to receive a Tribal
Medical Benefit Debit
Card. To apply simply
submit enrollment information and documentation validating eligibility
status. New applicants
contact Tera Hatley,
Member Services Manager, with questions or
for assistance. Current
card holders also contact
Tera Hatley for updates
to your status or enrollment records.
thatley@miamination.
com
Ph: 918-541-1324
5C
weekintiiciki
“They are married”
Bodie Ann Alexander
Myaamia citizen Kealey Alexander and husband Aaron announce the birth of their daughter, Bodie Ann Alexander. Bodie was born on
November 21, 2020 and arrived weighing 7 lbs,
5 oz and measured 19.5”.
Bodie’s maternal grandparents are Mitch
and Sandra Johnston. Her paternal grandparents are Lewis and Lacy Alexander.
ENROLLING
IN THE
MIAMI TRIBE
OF OKLAHOMA
Go to www.miamination.com, under the “Services” tab scroll down
to “Enrollment” and click to enter
the page - at the bottom of the page,
under “Enrollment Resources”
click on the Enrollment Application. For assistance, contact Tera
Hatley at thatley@miamination.
com or by phone at 918-541-1324.
Kara Strass & Kristoph Kleiner
Tribal member, Kara Strass, married her partner
of five years, Kristoph Kleiner on September
6, 2020. Both the ceremony and the reception
were held in Camden, Ohio.
The bride is the daughter of Tribal citizen Kirk Strass and Patti Strass. The groom’s
parents are Michael and Darla Kleiner. The
wedding was officiated by the groom’s paternal
grandfather, Karl Kleiner, and there were readings by the groom’s paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Kleiner, and maternal grandfather, Bill
Neirman, as well as the bride’s paternal grandmother, Tribal citizen Sue Strass. Additionally,
the bride’s sister, Tribal citizen Haley Shea sang
a song in myaamiataweenki,
Kara is the Director of Miami Tribe Relations at the Myaamia Center and Kristoph is
an Assistant Professor at Indiana University,
Bloomington.
VISIT THE NEWS PAGE ON FACEBOOK
AT AATOTANKIKI MYAAMIAKI MIAMI NATION NEWS
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Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
MIAMI TRIBE
VETERANS BENEFIT
The Miami Nation Veteran’s Benefit was announced during the 2014
Annual General Council Meeting. It is designed to work just like
the Tribe’s existing elders and disability benefit debit cards. Veterans
will receive a debit card,
pre-loaded with $500 to
help with healthcare expenses. If you are an elder and a veteran, you
will receive an additional
$250, a total of $750 on
your card.
Veterans must apply through the Tribe’s
Member Services Office and provide proof
of honorable or medical discharge, or current
service status. The application can be downloaded from the Tribal
website at www.miamination.com. If you have
additional
questions,
please contact Tera Hatley at 918-541-1324.
MYAAMIA
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Myaamia citizens and families have
many language and cultural education
opportunities available on the web. The
following sites regularly post videos,
photos and current news clips from the
Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and the Myaamia Center at Miami University.
-Myaamia Center Youtube Channel
-MYAAMIAKI Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Facebook Page (closed group for Tribal citizens and
their immediate family members)
-AACIMOTAATIIYANKWI - Myaamia Community Blog
-AATOTANKIKI MYAAMIAKI Miami Nation
News Facebook
-Miami Nation Events Facebook
-www.miamination.com
-Kaakisitoonkia.org - the Myaamia Heritage
Museum & Archive’s online archive
-Miami Nation Gift Shop
https://myaamiagifts.square.site
-Eemamwiciki Facebook Page (all about our
summer youth programs)
-Myaamia Center Facebook Page
-ILDA Myaamia Online Dictionary (Miami-Illinois Indigenous Languages Digital Archive)
https://mc.miamioh.edu/ilda-myaamia/dictionary
-AATOTANTAAWI - “Let’s Talk About It” Myaamia Community Discussion Group on Facebook - Books, Movies, etc.
MIAMI NATION GIFT SHOP
The Miami Nation Gift Shop is once again open for
in-store shopping, online sales and pick up. We
want to encourage all Myaamia customers to place
orders online for pick up at the Annual Meeting
on June 25, 2021. When shopping online, be sure
to choose the ‘pickup’ option and make a note at
checkout that you will be at Annual Meeting. We
will have a booth at the meeting and will have your
packaged order ready for pickup. From May 1 to
June 18, enter code AM2021 for 20% off store-wide!
(Excludes t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts, consignment items, and art prints.)
918-544-6049
http://www.myaamiagifts.square.site
Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
7C
FALL SOCIAL GATHERING AND
TRIBAL COMMUNITY REUNION
SEPTEMBER 24 & 25, 2021
Due to ongoing COVID 19 concerns, and to provide community members more time for vaccinations, the Miami
Tribe of Oklahoma will not hold community events or the
annual Miami Nation Pow Wow during the week of the
Tribe’s General Council Meeting in June, 2021. Instead, a
great Myaamia community reunion event is scheduled for
September 24 & 25, 2021 in Miami, OK. The gathering will
take place outdoors, weather permitting, and will include
community lacrosse games, archery competition, mahkisina tournament, social dances, stomp dance and arts and
crafts vendors. A full listing of the events, times and locations will be finalized soon and will be mailed to tribal
households and posted to social media and the tribal website.
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Aatotankiki Myaamiaki, Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021
MYAAMIA EDUCATION OFFICE BACKTO-SCHOOL FUND AND SCHOLARSHIP
INFORMATION
NOTICE! CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE. PLEASE READ
THIS INFORMATION CLOSELY.
Back-to-School Funds
call for a new application to be mailed. Please ten through the 6th grade. $75.00, 7th & 8th
First and Second Semester Back-to-School make sure your address has been updated with grade. $100.00 and 9th through 12th grade
(maximum age 19) $150.00.
applications will be mailed to all enrolled the Member Services Department.
If you have questions, contact the EdMiami Tribe of Oklahoma children ages PreSchool (minimum age 4 years) to Seniors in PLEASE NOTE THAT LATE, INCOM- ucation Office at 918-541-2176. You must
High School (maximum age 19 years). Back- PLETE OR UNSIGNED APPLICATIONS complete an application for each semester to
to-School applications must be filled out WILL NOT BE PROCESSED. THE MY- receive Back to School Funds. Checks will be
completely. Please read the instructions on AAMIA EDUCATION OFFICE IS NOT mailed within three weeks after the First sethe application and make sure the bottom of RESPONSIBLE FOR RETURNING IN- mester application deadline, and after Christthe application is signed before returning to COMPLETE APPLICATIONS TO BE mas for the Second semester.
*The Tribe may require, at any time, the rethe Myaamia Education office by the dead- SIGNED OR COMPLETED.
cipient of back-to-school-funds to produce reline stated on the application. FALL APFirst Semester Applications must be ceipts for items purchased with said funds as a
PLICATIONS WILL BE MAILED IN MAY
postmarked
by July 15. Second Semester Ap- require
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