Aacimotaatiiyankwi

This past weekend, our graduation celebration for Myaamia students attending Miami University marked the end of another academic year at the Myaamia Center. Before transitioning to the Eemamwicki Summer Programs, we wanted to share some highlights of the Myaamia Heritage Program over the 2023-24 school year.  

On Saturday, May 18th, we gathered with our 11 Myaamia Heritage Program graduates, our largest graduating class ever, and their families. We also celebrated Jared Nally, our Aanchtaakia Graduate Fellow, as he completed his master’s degree in environmental science. For the first time, the event was held in miloniteeheekaani ‘the Myaamia classroom’, a space gifted to the Miami Tribe by Miami University.  

Each student was gifted several items to celebrate their accomplishments while attending Miami University and participating in the Heritage Program. Each graduate received (1) a t-shirt, designed by Julie Olds, that is only available to Myaamia graduates of Miami University, (2) a wooden lacrosse stick, made by Doug Peconge, with the Myaamia Heritage Logo painted on the side, and (3) a Myaamia stole to wear during graduation ceremonies. Each stole, made by Karen Baldwin, Kara Strass, and Megan Sekulich, includes hand-sewn ribbonwork, metal buttons, and embroidered Myaamia phrases. 

During their final year, Myaamia students work on independent research projects that combine what they have learned in the Myaamia Heritage course with what they have learned in their major or minor. At our senior night event in April, students presented their projects to the Myaamia community on campus. The goal of these projects is to give back to the Myaamia community, however students choose to define that. This year’s projects covered many topics, including genealogy, history, art, health, and nutrition. If you don’t have a chance to chat with these graduates about their research, you can check out the Myaamia Center’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts to learn more about each project. 

In the Myaamia Heritage course, students spent the year exploring tribal sovereignty, current events affecting Myaamiaki ‘Myaamia people’, and Myaamia art and aesthetics. We welcomed multiple guests from the Myaamia community to class to speak on these topics. In the fall, Robin Lash, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma General Counsel, and Ian Young, a Myaamia Heritage Program alumnus and a staff attorney for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in northern Minnesota, virtually visited the class. 

In the spring, the class had the opportunity to speak with three Myaamia artists. Scott Shoemaker, Julie Olds, and Katrina Mitten each discussed how Myaamia culture impacts their art. These presentations prepared students for their final project, designing a Myaamia t-shirt. In the final class session of the year, students presented their designs and voted on one to be printed. 

Outside the classroom, Myaamia students had the opportunity to participate in two different workshops this spring. Karen Baldwin, with the help of Kara Strass and Megan Sekulich, led students through a ribbonwork project. This workshop was split into multiple sessions to allow plenty of time for learning the entire process of folding, layering, and sewing the project. Katrina Mitten led the second workshop, teaching students to beadwork on baseball caps. We also hosted our annual pancake and waffle feast to enjoy the fresh maple syrup collected and processed on Miami’s campus by Myaamia students and staff. 

While we’re always sad to see our students leave Oxford for the summer, we’re looking forward to seeing many of them in Noošonke Siipionki ‘Miami, OK’ and Kiihkayonki ‘Fort Wayne, IN’ this summer serving as counselors for the Eemamwicki summer youth programs.

Read more about the 2023-24 school year here: