Understanding the Myaamia concept of living well requires knowledge of two tenets that form the foundation of a life lived well. It could be generalized that most humans, regardless of cultural upbringing, are driven or motivated to seek a good life, which we will refer to in this context as nahi meehtohseeniwinki. This term more directly translates for us as “to live a proper human life.” 

The two tenets that form the basis of nahi meehtohseeniwinki ‘living well’are pilakioni ‘health’ and aweentioni ‘peace’. Without relying too much on the English translations of these terms for meaning, let’s take a moment and learn what the Myaamia terms actually represent by examining their cultural context. pilakioni contains the stem pelakii– which is found in terms such as: peelakiici ‘he/she recovers, is healthy,’ aancipelakiici ‘he/she reforms their life for the better,’ and peelakiihinci ‘he/she is cured, liberated.’ The commonality among these three examples that share pelakii– as a stem is that they all express the notion of ‘improve one’s condition’. With that said, we should understand that the English translation of pilakioni ‘health’ is really about improving one’s condition generally and goes beyond physical or medical improvements.

Likewise, aweentioni contains the stem aweem– which is found in terms such as eeweenkiici ‘he/she is grateful/thankful,’ eeweemaki ‘I am related to him/her,’ or nintaweemaakana ‘my fellow tribesman.’ Therefore, the stem aweem- carries with it the notions of ‘relatedness’ and the benefits that come with relationship building such as ‘gratitude’. In this context, it is easy to see how the meaning is further extended in the noun aweentioni meaning ‘peace’. So when we say that the concepts of aweentioni ‘peace’ and pilakioni ‘health’ form the foundation of our concept of nahi meehtohseeniwinki ‘living well’, know that the rich cultural context of this Myaamia phrase embodies broader notions of meaning that extend beyond the simple definition of the English translation. This is an example of how our language helps us shape our cultural understanding around certain topics that are of interest to us.  

It is likely these broader concepts of health and peace, or more specifically improving one’s condition and seeking beneficial relationships, are common across many cultures and form the basis of a more general human experience. Although we may share these foundational ideas with other human groups, how they get expressed can differ depending on the cultural attributes of the group. This is important to remember because underneath our cultural differences lies a layer of human need that we all share and strive to maintain. 

Furthermore, the notion of living well, as realized through our individual lives, can be influenced by many variables, due to the many experiences and interpretations that have been imposed on us by external sources and cultures. What each person’s daily expression of wellness looks like is impacted by different social, geographical, and personal factors. What unites us as a Myaamia community is our shared identity. This particular model is intended to represent the features of that shared identity that enables Myaamiaki to continue striving for a proper human life. The features of this identity system have been maintained throughout generations and are identifiably and specific to a Myaamia way of being. Please see these prior blog posts for some additional background on how this model was created: (Grant Announcement, Wellness Metaphors, and Living Well Image).

Expression of Nahi Meehtohseeniwinki

There are three expressive components that contribute to and strengthen a Myaamia sense of identity.  Together, these three components of expression further define nahi meehtohseeniwinki ‘living well’. These include Myaamia knowledge competencies, community values, and intentional interactions. For the purposes of this model, we tease apart these three components as separate definable features but note that they are all interconnected to form a complete and complex Myaamia experience.

Knowledge Competencies

First are the knowledge competencies. We present these first as they are the foundation for the other two components of nahi meehtohseeniwinki. The process of knowledge acquisition begins at birth and continues throughout our entire life. Most often we gather information about the world we live in through our environment. More specifically, we identify five domains of knowledge that are needed to realize a strong Myaamia identity. 

1. Akimaayoni “Civic Knowledge”: A basic understanding of the civic nature of the tribal nation. This includes knowledge of the tribal constitution, government, and all matters regarding their citizenship in a sovereign-dependent nation within the United States borders.
2. Nakaaniaki “Ancestral/Historical Knowledge”: The knowledge of one’s ancestral line and related history.
3. Myaamiaataweenki “Language competence”: A level of proficiency in Myaamiaataweenki or ‘Miami language,’ which is necessary to reinforce our identity and critical in expressing cultural information and knowledge.
4. Myaamia Nipwaayoni “Cultural competence”: Individual cultural knowledge that can take many forms including (but not limited to) dancing, singing, art, games, storytelling, clothing, and food harvesting. This is passed down through families, engagement with community, participation in educational programs, or personal/self-directed study.
5. Ašiihkiwi kiišikwi “Ecological Competence”: Understanding of the landscape(s) we inhabit as well as our relationship and responsibility to all other inhabitants we share our landscape with.

It is not expected that an individual will ever possess all knowledge that can be gained from each of these five domains. Rather, each of us is on a journey of lifelong learning, seeking to understand as much as we can about the world based on our individualized interests and our families’ needs, and taking opportunities to express this learning in a community context. Therefore, these domains can serve as a starting point to help you on your journey of learning and sharing as a Myaamia person.

Values

The second component of nahi meehtohseeniwinki is our community value system. There are eight values that guide what we deem important as a community and which guide both our worldview and our behaviors. If you’re anything like me, there are things you do that you don’t know why you do them, you just know they are there in your life. Looking at this value system, I am now able to describe the “why” behind some of these behaviors. Here are the eight values that have been formally articulated and implemented within our educational curriculum:

1. neepwaahkaayankwi ‘we are wise, conscious, aware’: A drive to understand things and gain knowledge/awareness of the way the world works. 
2. eeyaakwaamisiyankwi ‘we strive for (something)’: Striving to work towards goal(s) in life. 
3. eeweentiiyankwi ‘we are related to each other’: Value in the interconnectedness among the tribal community and recognition of our relationships and responsibility to one another.
4. peehkinaakosiyankwi ‘we are generous, kind’: Treating others with generosity and kindness as these individual acts impact the entire tribal community. 
5. aahkohkeelintiiyankwi ‘we care for each other’: Thinking about others and caring for the needs of our kin, particularly elders and youth.
6. neehweeyankwi ‘we speak well’: Speaking in ways that bring pride to the community.
7. paahpilweeyankwi ‘we joke, are humorous’: Use of humor for many purposes including entertainment, to break tension, or to cope with difficulties.
8. aahkwaapawaayankwi ‘we dream’: Dreaming about our future both metaphorically in identifying our hopes for the future, and literally through fasting and seeking visions.

These stated values are often subtly expressed in our behavior and expressions towards one another. For example, at every community event, we ask that elders and guests be the first to eat. This communal formality was passed to us from past generations and is a manifestation of the value that ‘we care for each other.’ Serving food is an expression of generosity and an important way of caring for others, in this case, upon elders and guests. 

Intentional Interactions

The third component of nahi meehtohseeniwinki includes the intentional interactions between a person’s being or spirit and various components of life. We all possess a soul separate from our physical form that is the source of our individual identity, and kicihciikamenaanaki ‘our living souls’ guide our intentional and conscious interactions within each of the following five domains. 

1. awiiyoome ‘body’: The strength and health of our physical body influences the  way we engage  with others and can form the basis of healthy behaviors and a long life.
2. mihtohseeniaki ‘the people’: This social realm includes our interaction with social networks we are born into, help sustain, and include new relationships that emerge throughout our life. 
3. manetawioni ‘spirit’: This spiritual realm includes our interaction with, and understanding of, the metaphysical world which can include things we cannot know.
4. išiteehioni ‘thought’: This mental realm includes our cognitive experiences of engaging with our surroundings and includes one’s mental capacity, emotion, and intellect. 
5. Myaamionki ‘Myaamia places’: This realm includes knowledge of, interaction with, and reciprocity within our tribal homelands and the places we live out our lives as individuals and community.

These intentional interactions are most often thought of as health or wellness, but in isolation (without Myaamia knowledge and values) are void of a Myaamia cultural context. Our work in revitalization serves to bring these important attributes back into our lives. These values and knowledge provide the context and understanding of how an individual is able to take care of their body, social being, or their homelands. Those are the foundation upon which we are able to interact with these five domains. 

Note that this entire model represents our current understanding of our lived experiences as Myaamia people as it pertains to our every-human need to improve our condition and remain a people over time. We realize that knowledge, time and experience change the way we think and behave. Therefore, a concept such as wellness will continue evolving as our community’s needs and lived experience change. We expect to incorporate these components both formally and informally throughout future educational programs. It is our hope that you will continue to engage with us and ask questions about nahi meehtohseeniwinki in order that our perspective will continue to evolve.