Who Are the Miami?
The Miami (Myaamia, meaning "downstream people") are an Algonquian-speaking people originally inhabiting the Wabash and Maumee River valleys of present-day Indiana and Ohio. Today numbering approximately 8,000-10,000, they are organized as the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma (federally recognized) and the Miami Nation of Indiana (state recognized). They speak Miami-Illinois (Myaamia), an Algonquian language that became extinct as a first language by the 1960s but has been successfully revitalized through the Myaamia Project. The Miami were a powerful force in the Ohio Valley, resisting American expansion in wars that produced some of the U.S. Army's worst defeats.
Ohio Valley Power
Traditional Miami territory centered on the Wabash, Maumee, and Miami Rivers of Indiana and Ohio—rich lands supporting agriculture, hunting, and trade. The Miami lived in villages with bark-covered houses, cultivating corn, beans, and squash while also hunting extensively. They were organized into bands led by civil and war chiefs, with a council system for major decisions. French contact in the 17th century brought the fur trade; the Miami became middlemen, their strategic location making them valuable allies. Relations with the French were generally cooperative, while British attempts to extend influence faced Miami resistance. The Miami confederacy included affiliated groups like the Piankashaw and Wea.
Wars and Removal
Following American independence, the Miami led resistance to U.S. expansion into the Ohio Valley. War chief Little Turtle (Mihšihkinaahkwa) commanded combined forces that inflicted devastating defeats on American armies—St. Clair's Defeat in 1791 killed over 600 soldiers, the worst loss ever suffered by the U.S. Army against Native Americans. Only General Anthony Wayne's victory at Fallen Timbers (1794) and the Treaty of Greenville ended Miami resistance. Subsequent treaties ceded Miami lands, and in 1846, most Miami were forcibly removed to Kansas, then Oklahoma. Some Miami, including descendants of chiefs with land grants, remained in Indiana but lost federal recognition. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma maintained federal status and serves as the primary governing body.
Contemporary Miami
Modern Miami communities have achieved remarkable cultural revitalization. The Myaamia Center at Miami University (Ohio)—named for the tribe—partners with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to research and revitalize language and culture. The Miami language, with no native speakers by the 1960s, has been successfully revitalized using historical documentation; there are now second-language speakers and immersion programs. Traditional practices including ribbon work, storytelling, and seasonal ceremonies have been restored. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma operates economic enterprises including gaming. The Miami Nation of Indiana continues to advocate for federal recognition. Miami history—particularly Little Turtle's resistance—represents a significant chapter in American history often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
References
- Rafert, S. (1996). The Miami Indians of Indiana: A Persistent People
- Carter, H. L. (1987). The Life and Times of Little Turtle: First Sagamore of the Wabash
- Leonard, W. Y. (2008). When Is an "Extinct Language" Not Extinct?: Miami, a Formerly Sleeping Language