Aacimotaatiiyankwi

Robbyn Abbitt,  the GIS Coordinator for Miami University and the Associate Director of the Dept. of Geography’s Geospatial Analysis Center, recently became an affiliate of the Myaamia Center. You may have seen her at this year’s Winter Gathering. 

Robbyn has aided Myaamia mapping for many years–perhaps her first interaction with Myaamia mapping was with Joshua Sutterfield, director of cultural education for the Miami Tribe, as he worked on his Master’s thesis at Miami, completed in 2009. Her work has included conservation and environmental planning, and she frequently teaches GIS (which stands for Geographic Information System) using applied projects for real-world clients. She came to GIS, and academic work at a university, from a background as a field-based environmental scientist. “I truly enjoy teaching and encouraging students,” she said. “We spend time every semester outside and practicing public participation skills in the classroom. I do think GIS is amazing, but even more amazing are the people doing the work!”

Robbyn has also been instrumental in the ongoing work of the Aacimwahkionkonci ‘Stories from the Land’ team. Aacimwahkionkonci aims to help us understand, and in turn tell, the history of the complex legal patchwork that has come to define Myaamionki ‘the land of the Miamis.’ Her guidance has included overseeing the work of (to date) six Master’s students in the geography department who have worked for the Myaamia Center and the Aacimwahkionkonci project. “The projects I have worked on have given me challenges that I wouldn’t typically have with teaching and developing course material,” Robbyn said. “I have been able to keep my own GIS skills current and active while advising graduate students working with the Center.  I also truly enjoy the fact that most of the work I have done is answering questions for people about their families and their history.”

While Aacimwahkionkonci has been mainly focused on research so far, Robbyn will continue to be critical as the project adds new educational materials for the Myaamia community.

“Having the opportunity to work with the Myaamia Center, for me, has been one of the true benefits of working at Miami University. The opportunity to work with the Center provides a way for me to do the work that I enjoy, but think about it in new ways. I’ve had the opportunity to explore how environments and data about those environments are visualized outside of my traditional western world view. The Center is also filled with really amazing people that I enjoy having the opportunity to get to know better over time.”

Read more about Robbyn on her faculty biography.