Wiihkoowia Kiilhswa ‘Whippoorwill Moon’ is the fourth lunar month of Myaamia Kiilhsooki ‘Miami Lunar Calendar.’ Like the other months named for birds, Wiihkoowia Kiilhswa is associated with the process of transition from peepoonki ‘winter’ into neepinwiki ‘summer.’ The month is named for wiihkoowia ‘Eastern Whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferus).’

Around this time of year, wiihkoowiaki ‘Eastern whippoorwills’ return from their winter nesting grounds around the Gulf of Mexico. Historically, Whippoorwills nested throughout our traditional homelands along the Wabash River Valley. Because these night birds nest on the ground, drastic changes in forest habitat have decreased populations of wiihkoowia in central Indiana. The call of wiihkooowia is distinctive and was used to mark the beginning of planting time for Myaamia miincipi ‘Miami corn.’ Listen to wiihkoowia‘s call in this video. Miincipi that is planted during Wiihkoowia Kiilhswa is usually in the green corn stage by Kiišiinkwia Kiilhswa ‘Green Corn Moon.’

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