The Myaamia Nation
The Myaamia Nation, also known as the Miami Nation and later the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, are known in their own language of Myaamiaataweenki as ‘The Downstream People.’ In Waapanaakikaapwa’s (Gabriel Godfroy’s) version of the Myaamia origin story, he documents their origins from an emergence through waters in the Saakiiweesiipiwi, which is currently present-day St. Joseph River.1
Prior to the Indian Removal Act, the Myaamia people resided in lands which are currently known as present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other areas within the Midwest.2 The Miami people cultivated these lands for generations through agriculture, growing corn and other vegetables on the land, while also hunting for animals. These acts of cultivation later became and continue to sustain the Miami peoples’ Myaamionki, which means the “Place of the Miami.” This means that the sustenance of the nation comes from their cultivation and appreciation of the land they inhabit. Through these means, the nation has the ability to provide for its people, while simultaneously reinforcing generational practices, which support their resistance against United States erasure by continuously sustaining their culture.3 Therefore, the story of the Miami Nation is one of survival and resilience despite multiple removals and acts of cultural aggression from the United States government.
In the years prior to 1800, the Miami people created alliances with their fellow Native nations like the Wyandot, Pottawatomies, Delawares, Shawnese, Ojibwes, Ottawas, and Senecas in the continuous battle with white settlers over the protection of their land. These battles with the white settlers were against the leaders General Anthony Wayne, General Arthur St. Clair, and other leaders within their forces. The Myaamia people were led into battle by their own renowned war chief Little Turtle, where they defeated the white settlers in various battles, including St. Clair’s Defeat. These battles prior to the Battle of Timbers in 1794, showcased the perseverance of the Miami nations in relation to the United States, as their forces continuously fought against their varying militias and generals throughout the years and ended in victory.
However, following the decisive Battle of Timbers the Myaamia and other nations were presented with a treaty, which was written in the Greenville Fort, in present-day Greenville, Ohio during the year 1795. The treaty was named the Treaty of Greenville, where the Myaamia, Wyandot, Shawnese, Lenape, Ottawa, Ojibwa, Potawatomies, Kickapoo, Kaskaskias, Eel River, and Weas ceded large areas of their lands in state of Ohio for “White settlement.”4 This treaty is notable particularly because of how expansive the ceded land areas were in relation to other treaties that had been made previously.
After the Treaty of Greenville, the United States continued to push further into the west for settlement until finally the Jackson administration implemented the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Following the act, the Miami people were forcibly relocated to Kansas in 1834, and then later into Oklahoma where they are now recognized as the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. However, despite the efforts of erasure from the United States and the forced removals, the nation has continued to persevere in preserving their cultural practices and values throughout their generations. For instance, one of the cultural practices that has continued throughout time has been ribbonwork within the nation. The nation also has initiatives centered around teaching history from their own peoples’ perspective, as well as teaching language classes for the Miami and other people as well. Overall, the Myaamia people stood and stand resilient against the United States by fighting the latter’s continuous cultural aggression.
By Liv Palepoi
1 Ironstack, George. “A Myaamia Beginning.” Aacimotaatiiyankwi (blog), 2010. Last modified August 13, 2010. https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2010/08/13/a-myaamia-beginning/#_edn1. Last accessed May 13, 2021.
2 Ironstack, George. “A Brief History of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.” Aacimotaatiiyankwi (blog), February 15, 2012. https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2012/02/15/a-brief-history-of-the-miami-tribe-of-oklahoma/. Last accessed May 13, 2021.
3 “History.” Kiiloona Myaamiaki: The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, 2021. https://miamination.com/node/11. Last accessed May 13, 2021.
4 United States Government. “Ratified Indian Treaty 23: Wyandot, Delaware, Shawnee, Ottawa, Chippewa, Potawatomi, Eel River, Wea, Kickapoo, Piankashaw, and Kaskaskia - Greenville, August 3, 1795.” Series: Indian Treaties, 1789-1869, Group 11: General Records of the United States Government, 1778 - 2006, National Archives Washington D.C. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/170281462.
Photo: Lewis, James Otto. RICHARDVILLE; The Head Chief of the Miami Tribe of the Indians, from the Aboriginal Portfolio. Smithsonian Art Museum, 1835. Smithsonian Art Museum Collection, Gift of H. Lyman Sayen to his nation. https://www.si.edu/object/richardville-head-chief-miami-tribe-indians-aboriginal-portfolio:saam_1973.167.42?edan_q=Miami%2BIndians&destination=/search/collection-images&searchResults=1&id=saam_1973.167.42.