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Myaamia Makerspace: Home

Overview

Hello! Our names are Haley Stanaford, Liv Snow, Summer Wheatley, Makenna Malcom, and Katelyn Smith and we created this module with help from Stefanie Hilles who is the Arts and Humanities Librarian. We are not citizens of the Miami Tribe but we have been working closely with Tribal citizens and the Myaamia Center to design this lesson, and also with Sarah Nagle from the Makerspace to design an activity for students and staff. Today we are going to learn a little about Myaamia culture, which is the culture of the Miami Tribe.

Video 1

We will begin with an introduction to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. There is an overview about the relationship between the Miami Tribe and Miami University. Some words from the Myaamia language are presented along with audio clips recorded by a speaker of the language. We discuss the Miami Tribe’s history from their emergence in their ancestral homelands through their removal in 1846.

Video 2

This video discusses the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma’s revitalization efforts, specifically Myaamia language and ribbonwork. We have included a video of Chief Douglas Lankford discussing the Myaamiaki Eemamwiciki ‘Myaamia Awakening’ program which won an Honoring Nations Award in 2018.

Video 3

This video is a step-by-step demonstration of how to make a ribbonwork-inspired bookmark. Ribbonwork is an artform created by citizens of the Miami Tribe, using textiles. This demonstration is not ribbonwork. It is inspired by ribbonwork because it is not made with textiles and the creators of this video are not citizens of the Miami Tribe. Making this bookmark craft is a reminder of what you have learned about the Miami Tribe and their culture.

Resources

Myaamia Online Dictionary: https://mc.miamioh.edu/ilda-myaamia/dictionary

Miami Tribe of Oklahoma: https://miamination.com/

Myaamia Center: https://miamioh.edu/myaamia-center/

Miami Tribe Relations at Miami University: https://miamioh.edu/miami-tribe-relations/

Neepwaantiinki: Stories from Myaamia Revitalization podcast: https://neepwaantiinki.buzzsprout.com/

Aacimotaatiiyankwi: A Myaamia Community Blog: https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/

Myaamia Ribbonwork at Miami University Art Museum online exhibit: https://sites.miamioh.edu/myaamia-ribbonwork/