meehtohseeniwinki ašiihkionki ‘Living on the Land’

wiiyaakiteeheelo weehki-kihkatwe ‘Happy lunar new year’ from the staff of the Miami Tribe’s Eemamwiciki education programs. We hope that all of our Myaamia relatives find a way to celebrate the sprouting of Mahkoonsa Kiilhswa ‘Young Black Bear Moon’ and the beginning of a new Lunar Year. The new year also means that we change our focus from last year’s educational theme, Song and Dance, to this year’s theme: meehtohseeniwinki ašiihkionki ‘Living on the Land.’

Over this year, participants in our programs will join us in exploring the relationships between Myaamia people and the plants and animals with whom we share our homelands. In most settings, we will begin our learning by focusing on the Myaamia lunar calendar, which serves as a reservoir of ecological knowledge and is the foundation of developing our understanding of these ever-evolving relationships.

Eemamwiciki Summer Program participants show off their projects created throughout the week during the “Living on the Land” theme in 2019. Photo Karen Baldwin, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.

In our summer programs, participants will explore the ecology of the area specific to each program and learn how to generalize experiences to their own “backyards.” Participants will also learn some of the history of our cultural ecology and be introduced to the plants and animals of all the Myaamia homelands: Indiana, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

In-person Program Dates:

Miami, OK – June 16-20, 2025

Fort Wayne, IN – July 14-18, 2025

Applications available: April 1 – May 3, 2025

For more information, visit miamination.com/summer-programs/

Young Myaamiaki ‘Myaamia people’ learn about the lunar calendar by creating a visual representation of it in the Saakaciweeta program for ages 6-9. Photo by Karen Baldwin, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
In the Eewansaapita program for ages 10-16, participants design their own lunar cycle block to track the moon phases throughout the month. Photo by Karen Baldwin, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
17 and 18-year-olds in the Maayaahkweeta program work directly with program staff to deeply engage with the program’s theme and take on mentorship roles for the Eewansaapita and Saakaciweeta programs throughout the week. Photo by Jonathan Fox, Myaamia Center.
In Neehsaapita, our program for adults, participants will have the option to sign up for a variety of cultural workshops throughout the week. Photo by Jonathan Fox, Myaamia Center.