Aacimotaatiiyankwi

Since 2010, the Miami Tribe has sent a new Myaamia Kiilhswaakani ‘Myaamia Lunar Calendar’ to each household. These calendars are based on the lunar cycle and connected to ecological changes that occur during that time of the year. We have created digital resources and given presentations during community gatherings to help our community learn about Myaamia Kiilhswaakani. Soon, there will be a new resource book titled myaamia kiilhsooki: Myaamia Moons, Seasons, & Years.

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), the Tribe received funds with the goal of providing distance learning and COVID safe learning materials. Nate Poyfair, Special Project Researcher and ARPA Noošonke Manager, and Madalyn Richardson, ARPA Cultural & Arts Education Content Specialist, have teamed up with staff from the Cultural Resources Office and Myaamia Center to compile myaamia kiilhsooki: Myaamia Moons, Seasons, & Years which will be a coffee table style book. The goal of the project is to facilitate the interaction with family members and the calendar by discussing and depicting the significance, both ecological and historical, of each month.

The book organizes the lunar year into seasons and then months. For each month, pictures depict ecological changes or other events that occur during that time of the year, such as maple tree tapping or games of peekitahaminki ‘lacrosse’. A unique feature of myaamia kiilhsooki: Myaamia Moons, Seasons, & Years is it will primarily feature pictures taken by photographers within our own community! This means you may recognize the subject of the picture from previous calendars or from being there yourself.

In addition to the printed book, the project team plans to create a digital version of the book and related video content. The book should be available for the first time at the 2024 Miami Tribe Winter Gathering and will be made available to Tribal households free of charge.