Aacimotaatiiyankwi

For many years, the Myaamia Center and the Myaamia Heritage Program at Miami University have helped nurture a new generation of Myaamia leaders and culture bearers. This summer, that work took on a new dimension when a group of Myaamia Heritage students and recent graduates stepped into an intensive leadership experience alongside Myaamia Center staff and Miami Tribe leaders.

Seven Myaamia students and recent graduates were selected to participate in the Akimaansa Young Ambassador Internship. In addition to serving as counselors for the Eemamwiciki Youth Programs in both Miami, OK, and Fort Wayne, Indiana, these students also served as representatives of their Tribal Nation at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The 8-week internship also included cultural education and leadership training to prepare students to serve as ambassadors. 

“These students had an opportunity to grow in their cultural knowledge and to learn how to share that information with the general public,” said Kara Strass, who serves as an advisor to Myaamia students attending Miami University. “It was an honor to get to watch these students grow through this experience.”

Smithsonian Folklife Festival: 

The culmination of the Akimaansa internship program was representing the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a 6-day festival designed to honor contemporary cultural traditions and celebrate those who practice and sustain them. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma was one of four tribal nations invited to share their experiences with language reclamation in their communities.

For the interns, the festival was both exciting and deeply meaningful. 

“I enjoyed being able to act as an ambassador for the Myaamia community in such an impactful way,” said Sydney Angelo, a senior in the Heritage Program and alumnus of the Eemamwiciki Summer Youth Programs. “Sharing our culture through lacrosse, mahkisina, ribbonwork, and panel discussions gave me the chance to inform others while strengthening my relationship with the community.”

Over the course of the festival, Myaamia students connected with hundreds of festival attendees from around the globe by sharing Myaamia games, language, and art. With the help of community members like Doug Peconge, Scott Shoemaker, Tim McCoy, George Ironstrack, Kara Strass, and Megan Sekulich, the students participated in panel discussions, presentations, interactive lessons, and lacrosse and ribbonwork demonstrations daily. 

But just as important as teaching others was the chance to build connections with fellow tribal youth. Our students had the chance to act as ambassadors in inter-tribal spaces and navigate relationship-building with youth leaders from other communities. The communities exchanged knowledge, social dances, and gifts throughout the week to build lasting, meaningful connections. 

For many, hearing Myaamiaataweenki spoken and seeing Myaamia lacrosse played on the National Mall, the city where many federal policies were passed that sought to erase Indigenous cultures, was a powerful reminder of Myaamia resilience.

Miami Tribe Community Events:  

While the Folklife Festival drew national attention, much of the interns’ work focused on working within their own community. As counselors for the Eemamwiciki Youth Programs, they guided some of the youngest Myaamia community members in learning language and culture.

After youth programs wrapped up, the interns remained in Miami, Oklahoma, to assist full-time staff in preparing for the Annual Gathering, General Council Meeting, and Miami Nation Powwow. Their presence not only supported staff during the busy summer season but also gave the interns a deeper appreciation for the work that goes into hosting large community events.

Preparing to Share Culture: 

Before stepping into ambassador roles, the interns spent the first three weeks of the program in intensive training with the Myaamia Center and the Miami Tribe Cultural Resources Office. On Miami University’s campus and at Peehkahkionki, the Tribe’s trust land in Indiana, they learned to make lacrosse sticks, sew ribbonwork, teach Myaamiaataweenki, and share Myaamia ecological knowledge.

These lessons provided more than just skills, but also offered mentorship and the chance to learn directly from Myaamia culture-bearers. 

“I plan to carry these skills into all aspects of my life,” said Sydney. “The cultural knowledge and community connections I built will guide how I continue to represent Myaamia people, and the values I practiced, such as kindness, curiosity, and cultural awareness, will continue to shape how I move forward.” 

The Akimaansa Young Ambassador Internship was more than just a summer program; it was a chance for Myaamia students to step into leadership, deepen their knowledge of Myaamia culture, and represent our community with pride to a national audience. Whether sharing Myaamiaataweenki with festival visitors, guiding our youngest community members through Summer Programs, or helping prepare for Tribal events, these students acted as thoughtful, responsible ambassadors. Their work this summer reminds us how important it is that each generation continues to carry our language, culture, and ways of knowing forward. 

Read more about Akimaansa Interns experience at the Folklife Festival:

Myaamia students to Participate at Smithsonian Folklife Festival in D.C. this July

Myaamia Students Reflect on Internship Experience

Credits:

Feature photo: Pimyotamah Hartleroad, a senior in the Myaamia Heritage Program, teaches peekitahaminki ‘lacrosse’ to Folklife Festival visitors. Photo by Doug Peconge, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.