In this part of our web directory, we'll be focusing on the Miami tribe of American Indians.
The Florida City of Miami was not named for the Miami tribe. The city was named for the Miami River, whose name was derived from the Mayaimi people, a Native American tribe that lived around Lake Okeechobee until the 17th or 18th century, who were not related. They lived in different parts of the continent and spoke different languages.
Historically, the Miami people were one of the Great Lakes tribes, occupying what is now north-central Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. Originally, the Miami people belonged to the huge Algonquian group of northeastern tribes dating back to 1000 CE.
The Miami were made up of several prominent subgroups, including the Atchakangouen, Kilatika, Mengakonkia, Pepilokia, Plankeshaw, and Wea.
Miami culture centered around religion and the acquisition of food, both of which were closely related to the natural world that they lived in. They worshipped the sun and thunder, and animal totems held spiritual significance to them, as did totems of snow, sun, and water. Like other American Indian people without a written language, oral traditions were used to pass their culture on to new generations. In traditional Miami religion, the Great Spirit created the world, and there were other spiritual beings who were either honored or feared.
Occupying a space that included religion and medicine, the Miami had the Midewiwin, a religious organization who were called upon to heal the sick, bring the death of enemies, and secure a successful hunt and supernatural assistance in battle. The Midewiwin consisted of shamans, prophets, seers, and chiefs.
The principal settlements of the Miami were along the Wabash, Blue, Eel, Scioto, and Ohio rivers, building communities throughout the wetlands, prairies, woodlands, and river bottoms. Their homelands also included hundreds of lakes, and most of their settlements were along rivers or lakes.
Like many other American Indian tribes, the Miami people didn't live in one great tribal village, but in separate communities that were interconnected through a system of clans. Since members were required to marry outside of their clan, this extended family served to connect the various Miami settlements.
While the Miami people were known to be peaceful and polite, they were not exempt from warfare. Their history was shaped by conflict, first with other American Indian tribes, and then with European nations.
At the start of the 17th century, the tribe numbered about 15,000. While large and powerful, they weren't as dominating as their principal enemies, the Iroquois League, which consisted of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, and Tuscaroras, who controlled an area that extended from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the Tennessee River to the St. Lawrence River. The Iroquois to the east and the Lakota to the west exerted pressure on the Miami, and other Great Lakes tribes, so they were forced to fight and to move often.
As much as the Miami hated the Iroquois, they hated the Illinois even more. When the Illinois went to war with the Iroquois, the Miami allied with the Iroquois and Seneca to drive the Illinois west of the Mississippi. This alliance went south when the Miami allowed the Shawnee to settle among them, as the Iroquois hated the Shawnee.
In the late 1680s, the French encouraged the Miami and other tribes to unite against the Iroquois, arming them. A large battle that took place on the banks of the Maumee River led to a lasting peace, as the Iroquois were forced to retreat to New York.
During the American Revolution, most of the Miami supported the British, although the Wea band remained neutral, and some Plankeshaw villages supported the colonists. Fortunately for the Miami, the area in which they lived was not the scene of intense fighting. One notable exception involved a retired French cavalry officer by the name of Augustin de La Balme, who seemingly took it upon himself to gather a militia under the French flag in support of the American cause. He took a trading post near the main Miami village at Kekionga without significant opposition and remained there, waiting for reinforcements to aid a planned attack on Fort Detroit. While they were waiting, some men from de La Balme's militia raided the Miami village while most of their warriors were away. Led by a Miami warrior known as Little Turtle (Mishikinakwa) led a retaliatory attack against the French militia, allowing only a few French survivors to escape.
While this was a great victory, the battle made it clear that the Miami were an enemy of the Revolution as far as the colonists were concerned. Consequently, after the defeat of the British, the Miami were treated as conquered enemies. Several treaties were signed, but few involved any actual negotiation.
Recommended Resources
Named for the Myaamia word for "a place to speak," this is a community blog for members of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, who are the Myaamia people, and others interested in the tribe. Affiliated with the Myaamia Center at Miami University, the site shares stories and information about the history, culture, and ecology of the Myaamia people, as well as links to other digital resources, such as podcasts, online dictionaries, and educational portals related to the Myaamia community.
https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/
Constructed in 1827, the Chief Richardville House is the oldest American Indian structure in the Midwest. Named a National Historic Landmark in 2012, the home was built for Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville, considered the richest man in Indiana at the time of his death in 1841. Known as Pinšiwa or Peshewa in the Miami-Illinois language, he was the last "akima" (civil chief) of the Miami people. The Allen County/Fort Wayne Historical Society acquired the property in 1991.
https://fwhistorycenter.org/richardville-house/
Founded by tribal leaders in 2005, the MNE is the economic arm of the federally recognized Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to provide support and economic development opportunities for the good of the Miami Nation and its citizens. Under the umbrella of the tribe, MNE operates a diverse collection of commercial companies, a Federal Contracting Group, and an entertainment group with offices and employees across the United States. Announcements and contacts are published on the site.
https://www.mn-e.com/
Miami Nation Federal Contracting Group
The FCG is a group of companies owned by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe. The FCG provides services and products to the U.S. federal government, such as construction, operations, maintenance, logistics, IT services, and technologies. The FCG operates under the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program, which gives preference to businesses owned by socially or economically disadvantaged groups. Its companies and joint ventures are featured.
https://fcg.mn-e.com/
Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana
Headquartered in Peru, Indiana, the Miami Nation of Indiana (also known as the Eastern Miami) signed a treaty with the United States government in 1854, but its federal recognition was terminated in 1897, and the U.S. Congress has refused to authorize federal recognition of the tribe separate from the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. Members are descendants of the Miami people who didn't respond to the government's removal of them to Oklahoma in 1846. Its government and contacts are posted.
http://www.miamiindians.org/
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States. Its members are descended from those who were removed from their homelands in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin in the 19th century. The official tribal website gives a history of the tribe, its governmental structure, administration, and tribal constitution, along with its services, economic development enterprises, enrollment policies, and events.
https://www.miamination.com/
The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is in partnership with Miami University, and one result of that partnership is the Myaamia Center, included on the MU site, which is engaged in the work of language and culture revitalization. The tribe and the university work together to conduct research projects to revitalize Miami language and culture. Admissions requirements and an online application are available, along with an overview of its academic programs, and an introduction to its campuses.
https://miamioh.edu/
Peoria Tribe of Indians in Oklahoma
The Peoria Tribe is a federally recognized tribe consisting of a confederation of Kaskaskia, Peoria, Plankeshaw, and Wea Indians who were united into a single tribe in 1854. The Plankashaw and the Wea were among the prominent subgroups of the Miami people. The tribal website discusses the history and culture of the various groups that make up the Peoria Tribe, along with its tribal government, services, a calendar of events, newsletter, contacts, and forms.
https://peoriatribe.com/
