Aacimotaatiiyankwi

The Myaamia Heritage Foundation (MHF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. The MHF furthers the Tribe’s cultural mission by promoting and funding research that advances Myaamia cultural knowledge, supporting Myaamia artists and scholars, and providing educational opportunities for both Myaamia citizens and the broader public. Through this work, the MHF provides a path for non-Myaamia people and organizations to support the Tribe’s cultural revitalization initiatives.

Background

Our Work

The Myaamia Heritage Foundation aims to increase awareness and understanding of Myaamia history, language, and traditions through programs, events, and collaborative partnerships—both with departments within the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and with non-Myaamia organizations. Below are our past projects:

Awakening: A Sacred Story of Contemporary Myaamia Art

In May 2025, MHF contributed $4,000 to Crete Creative Gallery & School for Awakening: A Sacred Story of Contemporary Myaamia Art, an exhibition celebrating the revitalization of Myaamia culture. Featuring works by over twenty Myaamia citizens, the show shared powerful personal stories of reconnecting with heritage and identity through art. The MHF’s funding helped cover artist travel and the delivery of art, ensuring these voices would be shared with the public and furthering our mission of supporting cultural growth for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. Then-president of Crete Creative and Myaamia citizen Waapankihkwa ‘Kathy Carter Young’ reflected on the impact of MHF’s support, saying that “the Foundation’s patronage empowered Myaamia artists to share their stories and connect with community on a deeper level.” For more information on the Awakening exhibit, click here to read an interview with Kathy.

Eugene Brown Art Show

In June 2025, the MHF funded prize money for the 4th Eugene Brown Memorial Art Show held at the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma’s Myaamia Heritage Museum. By recognizing outstanding Myaamia art, this contribution encourages the show’s growth and nurtures the continued excellence of Myaamia artists.

Taste of the Arts

In August 2025, the MHF sponsored three Myaamia artists at the Taste of the Arts festival in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This event provided an important platform for Myaamia artists to gain recognition for their work, while also educating the broader community about what it means to be Myaamia and the significance of Myaamia art. Additionally, it allowed us to introduce the Tribe to residents of Fort Wayne and Northern Indiana. Click here to read an article by the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette about MHF’s involvement in the festival!

Who We Are

The Myaamia Heritage Foundation consists of five board members appointed by tribal leadership. Once appointed, board members vote to determine officer positions, which serve two-year terms. Aašitehkawaataawi ‘let’s meet’ the MHF Board!

Morgan Lippert, Chair

Morgan is a non-Native cultural heritage professional who serves the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma as Curator of Exhibitions for the Myaamia Heritage Museum and Archive, coordinating exhibition research and development and consulting with organizations seeking to create exhibits and educational materials about the Myaamia community. She holds a B.A. in History from Beloit College and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Museum Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Morgan joined the Myaamia Heritage Foundation when it was founded in 2024. As Chair, she focuses on supporting initiatives that strengthen Myaamia cultural preservation and education, working closely with Tribal departments, community members, and external partners to foster collaborative projects that promote broader understanding of Myaamia history and culture.

Amehkoonsihkwa ‘Kelli Huth’, Vice Chair

Kelli is a community engagement professional with over 18 years of experience in higher education. She currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Community Engagement at Ball State University, focusing on building authentic partnerships that advance both the university’s and the community’s priorities. Kelli received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Anderson University and a Master of Arts in executive development for public service from Ball State. She has served as a director for many nonprofit boards focused on sustainability, community development, arts and culture, and public history. She is a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and is passionate about engaging in cultural revitalization and education initiatives. 

Alaamhkihkamwa ‘Doug Peconge’, Secretary-Treasurer

Doug is a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and works for the Tribe in its Cultural Resource Office. For the last decade, his focus has been connecting myaamia (Miami) tribal citizens to their tribe and culture. Doug’s position with the Tribe is the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Project Manager and the Cultural Resource Extension Office Director (CREO) located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Doug joined the Myaamia Heritage Foundation when it was founded in 2024. As an accomplished photographer and lacrosse stick maker, Doug understands the challenges of sharing his Myaamia work with the public. He sees the foundation as an opportunity for those within the Tribe to share their art, history, language, and cultural knowledge with the public.

Waahsaahkosanka ‘Jake Long’, Board Member

Jake is an enrolled member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. He’s a 2008 Myaamia Heritage Award graduate from Miami University and former employee of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma’s Cultural Resources Office. He went on to study the population genetics of Myaamia miincipi ‘Miami corn’ and other indigenous landraces of corn during his Master’s at Oklahoma State University. Over the years, he has continued to stay involved in various cultural and economic development activities with the Tribe and is a traditional bowmaker. Jake was a founding member of MHF and currently works for the Coquille Indian Tribe, growing their government contracting subsidiaries in engineering, construction, and aerospace manufacturing markets.  

Pikolakitisaata ‘Dani Tippmann’, Board Member

Pikolakitisaata Dani Tippmann is a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and has been an involved learner with her Myaamia relatives since she was young. She serves as the Tribe’s Kiihkayonki ARPA Community Food Program Director, working with tribal citizens on gardening and the use of wild plants for food, health, and craft. As an artist and cultural knowledge bearer, Dani has been a multi-time mentor for Traditional Arts Indiana and a four-time Artist in Residence at the Eiteljorg Museum. She is also a recipient of the Indiana Heritage Fellowship Award, which honors traditional artists who have made outstanding contributions to their artistic tradition and community. In 2024, she was named a national Taproot Fellow by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts for her work with plants and community. 

What’s Next

2026 holds a lot in store for MHF! One of our goals for this year is to take steps towards increasing visibility of Myaamia language and culture in public spaces, particularly in the tribe’s ancestral Lower Great Lakes homelands. Among the many impacts of the Tribe’s forced removal is a lack of understanding among non-Myaamia communities about the continued presence and cultural vitality of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Foundation hopes to support efforts that address these gaps through education and collaboration. In the next few months, we will be meeting with non-tribal partners to discuss how they can support our mission and Myaamia cultural revitalization through initiatives such as:

• incorporating Myaamiaataweenki ‘the Miami language’ into high-visibility areas throughout Myaamionki, such as park and trail signage and public interpretive spaces 
• hosting art workshops for Myaamia community members and the general public
• collaborating on projects that highlight Myaamia history, culture, and art

The Foundation also plans on returning to the Taste of the Arts Festival this summer in Kiihkayonki ‘Fort Wayne, Indiana.’ Hosted by Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, the Taste of the Arts festival aligns with our goals of outreach, helping non-Myaamia and non-Native neighbors learn about the Tribe’s presence, culture, and history. MHF looks forward to sponsoring Myaamia artists there again in 2026!

The Miami Tribe’s Cultural Resources Office—in collaboration with the Myaamia Center in Oxford, Ohio—is currently in the final stages of publishing a Myaamia language children’s book by Myaamia artist Megan Sekulich. The Myaamia Heritage Foundation is partnering with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and Indian Child Welfare (ICW) programs to distribute the book free of charge to tribal members with young children. The Foundation believes that when we invest in our youth, we invest in the future of Myaamiaataweenki ‘the Miami language,’ and we are proud to support this work and look forward to seeing this book in the hands of Myaamia children and families! The Foundation hopes to fund additional language projects for our tribal youth in the years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can Myaamia community members get involved?

Myaamia community members can get involved in a variety of ways. One of the goals of the MHF is to develop grant programs and other funding opportunities that tribal members will be able to apply for in support of specific arts and culture-related projects. Until these programs are established, the MHF invites tribal members who are interested in getting involved with the Foundation to contact MHF Chair Morgan Lippert at mlippert@miamination.com. For more information, please visit: https://miamination.com/myaamia-heritage-foundation/. 

How can people support the Foundation?

There are many ways that both tribal members and non-Myaamia people and organizations can support our work:

• Follow us on social media. The Foundation has accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Stay connected and keep up to date with our current and future projects! 

• Share our work with friends, family, and colleagues. Help spread awareness of the Foundation’s mission and the work we do. We are actively looking for organizations to partner with that are interested in supporting Myaamia cultural revitalization efforts!

• Make a financial contribution. As MHF is a registered 501(c)(3), donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible. If you or someone you know is interested in giving monetary support, the Foundation has a Square account accepting online donations here, as well as a Charity Venmo account.

Is this related to the Myaamia Heritage Program at Miami University?

No. While both the Myaamia Heritage Foundation (MHF) and the Myaamia Heritage Program support the cultural revitalization efforts of the Tribe, they are separate initiatives with different missions, governance, and funding structures.