Letter from the Executive Director, Daryl Baldwin

Daryl Baldwin, executive director of the Myaamia Center. Photo by Scott Kissell, Miami University.

aya ceeki wiiyaakiteeheelo weehki kiihkatwi ‘Greetings and happy New Year’

As 2026 begins, it brings a special sense of excitement and gratitude. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Myaamia Center, a milestone that allows us to reflect on our past while looking towards the future.

In 2001, the Myaamia Center (then the Myaamia Project) began as a small, exploratory initiative. With just one staff member and three years of funding, the goal was to discover how the unique relationship between the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University could be leveraged to support language and cultural education with the Miami Tribe. Today, the depth and breadth of our work have exceeded our wildest dreams....

Continue reading to learn more about the Myaamiaki Conference and a major capital campaign to expand the Myaamia Center’s workspace.

Register for the Myaamiaki Conference

Join us on April 18th at Miami University to learn about the latest research happening at the Myaamia Center! This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Learn More and Register Here

Aacimotaatiiyankwi: A Myaamia Community Blog

As new Myaamia Kiilhswaakana ‘Lunar Calendars’ make their way to Tribal households, it’s a good time to think about how our calendar system works. Unlike Gregorian calendars, our system focuses on the ecological changes occurring around us and how we interact with our environment. You can learn more about our calendar system and how each month was named on Aacimotaatiiyankwi.

Learn more about the Lunar Calendar System

Myaamia Education Office Updates

Peepoonki ‘Winter’ means that it’s time for Aalhsoohkaana ‘Winter Stories!’ The Miami Tribe already hosted an online storytelling event and will be hosting in-person storytelling events in Miami, Oklahoma, and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Miami event takes place on January 30, and the Fort Wayne event on February 28. Visit miamination.com/all-events for more information.

If you can’t attend one of these events, you can always read about Paapankamwa ‘Fox,’ Mahweewa ‘Wolf,’ Eehsipana ‘Racoon,’ and Wiihsakacaakwa in Dr. David Costa’s works myaamia neehi peewaalia aacimoona neehi aalhsoohkaana ‘Myaamia and Peoria Narratives and Winter Stories’ (2010) and As Long as the Earth Endures (2022).

keetwi iišileniciki neepwaaminciki? What are Myaamia Students up to?

The 2025/26 third-year Myaamia Heritage Students. Photo by Karen Baldwin, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.

A major snowstorm in Oxford delayed the start of the semester at Miami University, and the first Heritage class of the semester was held remotely due to the cold weather. The Myaamia students will continue studying Myaamiaataweenki ‘the Miami language’ in class, and we look forward to seeing them in-person next week. We are also excited to have a group of students traveling with us to Miami, Oklahoma, this weekend for the Miami Tribe’s Winter Gathering and Stomp Dance.

Support Myaamia Heritage Students

Upcoming Events

Our People Believe in Education - Featuring Cameron Shriver

Join us for a virtual presentation on February 19th as Cameron Shriver, Myaamia Center historian, discusses Our People Believe in Education: The Unlikely Alliance of the Miami Tribe and Miami University. After discussing the long history that entangles the Miami Tribe and Miami University, we will think about what the history means for us today.

Learn More and Register Here

History and Revitalization of Myaamiaataweenki 'the Miami Language'

Learn more and Register Here

Myaamia community members are invited to take part in Aatotantaawi, a monthly discussion group. Next month, hosts of the Neepwaantiinki podcast will discuss season 4, which focuses on Myaamia art.

In March, the group will discuss Moon of the Turning Leaves. This 2023 dystopian novel is a sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow, following an Anishinaabe community in Northern Ontario a decade after a global blackout. You can request a copy at your local library or purchase a copy from Birchbark Books.

Recent News

Miami Tribe Fosters Youth Development Through Sport -

Indian Country Today

Addison Lenhart, Myaamia Heritage Program Alumnus, recently wrote a story on peekitahaminki ‘lacrosse’ for Indian Country Today. Read the article to learn how the Miami Tribe uses this sport to promote wellness, teach language, and foster community connections.

Read the Article Here

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