Aacimotaatiiyankwi

pileewa akiišikomi (Turkey’s Day)

As Myaamia people we enjoy a good feast as much as anyone else, and many of our families will be gathering to share a meal with family and friends for Thanksgiving. Because it’s such a widely celebrated holiday, we thought it’d be useful to be able to talk about it in Myaamiaataweenki. So the staff…

Boarding Schools

Warning: this post contains distressing details. Recent news coming from Canada, particularly from the grounds of Kamloops Indian Residential School, Marieval Indian Residential School, St. Eugene’s Mission School and just recently the Kuper Island Residential School, has illuminated a sobering truth: for many Indigenous children, school was a place of suffering, trauma, and death. U.S….

30 mahkwa kiilhswa (2023)

noonki kaahkiihkwe tikawi neepanki (34℉) aalahkwahki kooniki ahsenisiipionki. alaake manetwa piihsaaci. noonki peehkonteeki neepiki mahkwa kiilhswa (peemineeta). kaapootwe kati saakiwa waawiita kiilhswa. taaniši kiišikahki niiyaaha apiyani? neemani-nko kati mahkwa kiilhswa? tookinanto oowaaha -> mahkwa kiilhswa neemani-nko kati aakalaahšimaataweenki? toohkinanto mihtahkiši. (For English, click below)

iiši-nipwaamiwaaci niniicaanihsaki ‘What my kids have taught me’

You probably noticed that the title of this post is a bit different from the last one! There are many things that have changed since my last blog post (almost a year ago already). The biggest change that’s come our way is ninkwihsa ‘my son’, Moohseensa. He came into the world with a bang on…

19 mahkwa kiilhswa (2023)

noonki kaahkiihkwe tikawi ceeliteeki (50℉) aalahkwahki šeepilaaniki ahsenisiipionki. noonki šaayiipaawe ciinkwia noontaahkweeta. noonki peehkonteeki napale neepiki mahkwa kiilhswa (peemineeta). taaniši kiišikahki niiyaaha apiyani? neemani-nko kati mahkwa kiilhswa? tookinanto oowaaha -> mahkwa kiilhswa neemani-nko kati aakalaahšimaataweenki? toohkinanto mihtahkiši. (For English, click below)

mahkwa pimi ‘Black Bear Grease’

As we are in the midst of Mahkwa Kiilhswa ‘Black Bear Moon,’ I thought it would be fitting to write a brief post about one of the favorite all purpose substances of the Myaamia past: mahkwa pimi ‘Black bear grease.’ In one of our community’s favorite Aalhsoohkaana ‘Winter Stories,’ Wiihsakacaakwa goes out visiting to his…

11 mahkwa kiilhswa (2023)

noonki kaahkiihkwe tikawi ceeliteeki (59℉) tikawi aahsanteeki ahsenisiipionki. noonki peehkonteeki naawi waawiyiisita mahkwa kiilhswa (keešaakosita). taaniši kiišikahki niiyaaha apiyani? neemani-nko kati mahkwa kiilhswa? tookinanto oowaaha -> mahkwa kiilhswa neemani-nko kati aakalaahšimaataweenki? toohkinanto mihtahkiši. (For English, click below)

Mahkihkiwa: the Myaamia Ethnobotanical Database

After years of research, Mahkihkiwa, a Myaamia Ethnobotanical Database is ready for the community to use! Mahkihkiwa or ‘herb medicine’ in English, was chosen as the name to signify the important role plants play in our culture and lives as Myaamia people. This database consolidates practical uses and Myaamia knowledge of local plants into a…

The Battle of the Mississinewa, 1812

It was cold, that much we know. A decade plus two centuries ago, the War of 1812 made its violent impact on the Myaamia and Delaware families living along the Nimacihsinwi Siipiiwi ‘Mississinewa River.’ It happened along a stretch of the river near where Meshingomesia and his band would put their schoolhouse a couple of…

17 ayaapia kiilhswa (2022)

noonki kaahkiihkwe tikawi neepanki (44℉) aalahkwahki ahsenisiipionki. noonki peehkonteeki kiinte waawiyiisita ayaapia kiilhswa (peemineeta). taaniši kiišikahki niiyaaha apiyani? neemani-nko kati ayaapia kiilhswa? tookinanto oowaaha -> ayaapia kiilhswa neemani-nko kati aakalaahšimaataweenki? toohkinanto mihtahkiši. (For English, click below)

weehki-kaloosioni: oonsaawiminaapowi ‘New word: Lemonade’

Sometimes creating a new word in Myaamiaataweenki requires days or even weeks of work researching in the archives and asking our relatives in other tribes questions about how they name something. But every once in a while a new word emerges in a moment and immediately feels right to everyone (and passes muster with the…

Artist Spotlight: Jared Nally

Written by Joshua Sutterfield Meet Jared Nally, a Myaamia student who is currently seeking a Master’s degree in Environmental Science at Miami University. He is a recipient of the Aanchtaakia Graduate Fellowship. Aanchtaakia is the Myaamia word meaning ‘change maker.’ This fellowship is specifically designed for tribal scholars motivated to make positive change in tribal…