Mihtohseenionki(The People’s Place)

TeacherResource

Guide

ISBN 0-9635492-2-7

© 2002 by Eiteljorg Museum of AmericanIndians and Western Art. All rights reserved.Except for copying of portions of this book byeducators for classroom use, or for quoting ofbrief passages for reviews, no part of this bookmay be reproduced in any form or by anyelectronic or mechanical means, includinginformation storage and retrieval devices orsystems, without prior written permissionfrom the publisher.

500 W. Washington StreetIndianapolis, IN 46204317.636.9378www.eiteljorg.org

Published in conjunction with the exhibitionMihtohseenionki (The People’s Place).

Front cover images (clockwise from top left): • Whitney and Hannah Ketchum (Delaware)

at the 1993 Delaware Pow Wow, imagecourtesy of Annette Ketchum (Delaware)

• Child (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi),image courtesy of Rae Daugherty (PokagonBand of Potawatomi)

• A Miami Indian called Kentuck, GeorgeWinter, watercolor and ink on paper,.ca 1838, image courtesy of TippecanoeCounty Historical Association

• Edward Leonard Thompson (Delaware),.ca 1945, image courtesy of Jim Rementer(Delaware)

• Mildred Walker (Miami Tribe ofOlkahoma), 2000, photo: Julie Olds (MiamiTribe of Oklahoma)

• Maria and Guy Beardslee (Ojibwa/Lacandon),.ca 2000, image courtesy of Lois Beardslee(Ojibwa/Lacandon)

• Don Secondine (Delaware), 2001• D’mouche-kee-kee-awh, George Winter,

watercolor on paper, ca. 1863-1871, imagecourtesy of Tippecanoe County HistoricalAssociation.

I. Introduction 3A. About This GuideB. Visiting the MuseumC. Teaching About Native AmericansD. This Was Their Place: An Overview of

Native Americans in the Indiana Region– by Ray Gonyea (Onondaga Iroquois)

II. Miami Curriculum 19– Karen Baldwin, with involvement of the Miami Tribe

of Oklahoma and the Miami Nation of IndianaA. Self – Living in Balance with One’s Self

1. Miami Language (Grades 3-5)2. Living in Two Worlds (Grades 3-5)

B. Others – Living in Balance with Others1. Respecting Your Elders (Grades 3-4)2. Family Ties (Grade 4)3. Miami Leaders (Grade 8)4. Games of the Miami (Grades 3-5)5. History of the Miami (Grade 8) 6. Sovereignty and Native American

Nations (Grade 8)C. Landscape – Living in Balance with the Land

1. Place names of Indiana (Grades 3-5)2. Miami Calendar (Grade 4)

D. Creator – Living in Balance with the Creator1. Handout: Laws of Relationship2. Handout: Four Directions Circle

III. Additional Lesson Plans 81A. Reading Objects (Grade 4)

–M. Sam CronkB. Primary Documents: The Treaty of

Greenville (Grade 8)–M. Sam Cronk

C. Tough Decisions: Propaganda,Advertising and Stereotypes (Grade 8)–M. Sam Cronk

D. Beadwork – Woodlands Indians (Grade 3)–Sue Davidson

E. Ribbonwork – Woodlands Indians(Grade 4)–Sue Davidson

F. Metalwork – Woodlands Indians (Grade 5)–Sue Davidson

G. Basketry – Woodlands Indians (Grade 8)–Sue Davidson

IV. Resource List 135

Table of Contents

John Pigeon(Pokagon Band of Potawatomi)Photo: Jason Wesaw

D’mouche-kee-kee-awhGeorge Winter, watercolor onpaper, ca. 1863-1871.Image courtesy of Tippecanoe CountyHistorical Association

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ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide was designed to complement andadd depth to our permanent gallery focused onNative Peoples of the Indiana region, past topresent. The lessons offered here were writtenspecifically to meet the Indiana AcademicStandards (adopted 2000-2001) in grades 3through 5 and grade 8 in social studies, visualarts and language arts. The lessons were writtenby educators, assessed for standards competency,and reviewed by educators and Native Americancultural experts for content and culturalappropriateness. A special section on theMiami Nation of Indiana and the Miami Tribeof Oklahoma includes lessons and handoutswritten under the direct supervision of membersof the Miami Nation. Although the lessonsare targeted at specific grade levels, there aresuggestions with each lesson on teaching toother grade levels.

A Note on SourcesAt the end of each lesson, you will find

abbreviated references to the sources fromwhich the information was taken. A completecitation for each source appears in thebibliography at the end of the Teacher’sResource Guide.

Gallery Connections

Mihtohseenionki (The People’s Place)* invitesvisitors to explore the rich and complex art,history and cultures of Native Americans fromthe Indiana region from a Native Americanpoint of view. Through beautiful rare objects,dramatic history, dynamic video and engaginginteractive components, students can learnabout the Miami Nation, the Potawatomi, theDelaware and other Native cultures in theIndiana region, from the 1700s to the present.

Primary resource videoIn a series of videos, students can see and

hear Native American artists, linguists andothers talk about their culture and their art.Artwork seen completed on video is displayedin the gallery alongside similar objects createdlong ago.

Interactive map of IndianaThis hands-on tool provides an opportunity

for seeing and hearing about Native Americaninfluence on the Indiana region, from Nativeriver and place names, to village locations, toNative trails, to land loss through treaties.

Primary resource timelineThe Mihtohseenionki timeline tells the story

of Native peoples in the Indiana region withquotations, photographs, art and artifacts.

Hands-on stationsStudents can try their hand at an aspect of a

traditional Native art form. (Depending on ourschedule, students may have an opportunityto watch and talk to contemporary NativeWoodlands artists and cultural experts.)

Woodlands hands-on cartThe same artists whose work you’ll see in

the gallery have helped us create a mediatedhands-on experience led by a knowledgeablevolunteer.

Students will walk away from the exhibitionwith the knowledge that Native Americanpeoples from this part of the country are alivetoday and have maintained ties to the pastwhile adapting to live in the present.

From its conception, the gallery has beendesigned with visitors in mind, especially 3rd,4th, 5th and 8th grade students looking forcredible information about the Native peoplesof Indiana. Our presentation dovetails withinterdisciplinary IDOE standards. All of thishas been prepared with thorough research andthe expertise and support of the museum’sNative American National and RegionalAdvisory Councils, as well as other Native andnon-Native experts. This permanent gallerywill feature temporary loans of significantobjects from this region.

*Mihtohseenionki is a Miami wordmeaning “The People’s Place.” The Indianaregion was once the land of the Miami, Wea,Piankashaw, Potawatomi, Shawnee,Kickapoo, Wyandot, Ottawa, Delaware andmany other nations.

Introduction

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VISITING THE MUSEUM

Open since June 1989, the Eiteljorg Museumof American Indians and Western Art inspiresan understanding and appreciation of the art,cultures and history of the American West andthe indigenous cultures of North America. Wedo this through temporary and traveling exhi-bitions, artists in residence, outreach into thecommunity, an award-winning museum store,and educational and entertaining programsaimed at visitors of all ages. We serve morethan 20,000 school-age children annuallywith tours, hands-on activities and programsdesigned especially for school groups. TheEiteljorg is the only museum of its kind in theMidwest.

Field Trip Tours

The Eiteljorg Museum is a great field-tripdestination, especially since the IndianaHistorical Society and the Indiana StateMuseum are within easy walking distance.

One-hour Eiteljorg Museum tours are led bytrained volunteer guides for 3rd-grade throughadults. The 3rd-5th-grade tours are plannedaround the IDOE standards. Choose from:

> Self-guided tourWe’re here to help if you want to plan your

own experience. Please do call for a scheduledtime to take advantage of group rates.

> Mihtohseenionki tourIn the gallery Mihtohseenionki (The People’s

Place), this IDOE standards-based interdisci-plinary tour focuses on the Native Americanart, history and culture of the Indiana regionfor 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-grade classes.

> We Are The People tourThis IDOE Standards-based tour for students

in grades 3 through 5 emphasizes art andcultures. Older students welcomed.

> Discovery tourGive students a well-rounded orientation to

the Eiteljorg’s holdings.

> Special Exhibition tourThroughout the year, the Eiteljorg Museum

hosts special exhibitions with tours designedfor students. Go online at www.eiteljorg.org orcall us at (317) 636-9378, ext. 150, for moreinformation.

> Special Request/Custom tourGive us some notice, and we can customize

a tour for your students that complementsyour curriculum.

Please schedule as soon as possible for guidedtours at (317) 636-9378, ext. 150. Groupreservations must be made at least three weeksin advance.

INTRODUCTION

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TEACHING ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS

Native Americans have long been a subjectfor educators, particularly at Thanksgiving.Unfortunately, the study of Native Americansoften has been stereotypical, which has con-tributed to children not understanding aboutdiverse cultures.

This handout describes ways that NativeAmericans are stereotyped. It also providessome ideas on how to teach more effectivelyabout Native Americans. Many children hearthe words “Indian” or “Native American” andpicture a stereotypical image:

> someone wearing feathers;

> someone living in a tipi;

> someone who makes a “whooping” sound;

> someone associated with Thanksgiving andthe pilgrims.

These images do not present children withan accurate portrayal of Native peoples. Theirdiversity would take years to study. For thisreason, it is important that teachers helpchildren learn about Native Americans in waysthat allow them to see the diversity anduniqueness of the individual tribes.

When teaching about Native Americans, itmight be helpful to keep some things in mind:

> Indians are often considered to be “things.”Some alphabet cards say, “A is for apple, B isfor ball… I is for Indian.” Pick a differentword so Indian people are not depicted asthings.

> Native Americans are often spoken of inpast tense. There are about 2 million Nativepeople in the U.S. today, yet many booksand educational materials still have titleslike How The Indians Lived.

> Native Americans are often referred to as“them,” and non-Indians, as “us.” Nativepeople are the original Americans and thuscould consider themselves more “American”than anyone else.

> Native Americans are often depicted insubservient roles, while Europeans and/orEuro-Americans are portrayed as leaders.One’s ethnicity does not determine one’sability to lead.

> Similarly, Native Americans often are onlydepicted as heroes if they are non-threateningto non-Natives. Native Americans should beable to choose their own heroes accordingto their own cultural standards.

> The lifestyles of Native Americans are oftencontrasted unfavorably with that of theAmerican white middle class. In reality, nolifestyle is inherently superior to any other—each is simply different, not better or worse.

INTRODUCTION

Top: Don Secondine (Delaware),2001 Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market.

Bottom: John Pigeon, Jr. (Pokagon Bandof Potawatomi), 2001 basket makingworkshop.

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> The message of many books, televisionshows and movies is that succeeding in thedominant society is the only ideal. Teachersneed to point out that the individual mustdetermine what he or she considers successto be, as well as how to pursue it.

> When studying Native Americans, focus onspecific tribes —”Miami, Potawatomi or theDelaware.” Lumping all Native Americanstogether does not allow children to see thediversity. Each tribe is a separate nation withdifferent names, languages, and cultures.

> Many school children think NativeAmericans look like movie Indians. NativeAmericans frequently inter-marry with otherethnic groups. Therefore, they often do notfit into the stereotype of appearance for aNative American.

> Challenge television stereotypes of NativeAmericans. Discuss with children themeaning of stereotypes and help themunderstand that Native Americans were nomore savage than others who fought todefend their land.

> Watch out for portraits of Native groupsusing only a few words (“ugh,” “how”). Besensitive to statements such as “You act likea bunch of wild Indians,” or “Sit like Indians.”

> Also watch for loaded words, which haveinsulting overtones when they are used todescribe people. Examples might include“savage,” “primitive,” “conniving,” “lazy,” or“superstitious.”

> Many students think that a few Europeansor Euro-Americans defeated thousands ofIndians in battle. Historians say the numberNative Americans killed in battle was small;what really defeated them were diseases thatcolonists brought with them from Europe, forwhich Native Americans had no immunity.

> Recognize that Native Americans are uniquefrom other ethnic groups in the UnitedStates in that they were dispossessed of theirlands through treaties. Native Americanshave legal rights through these treaties to theland they retain to this day.

INTRODUCTION

> Not all Native American children areacquainted with their Native American her-itage. Because of past U.S. government policy,many Native Americans were not allowed toacknowledge their own cultures, so muchinformation was lost. Therefore, youngergenerations may not be experts on NativeAmerican history and culture.

> It is important for students to know thatNative ways of life have meaning today.Native arts have long been the subject ofinterest and respect.

Related Lesson

The “Tough Decisions” lesson on page 106provides some activities to help studentsunderstand stereotypes, along with propagandatechniques. Written for grade 8, it can beadapted for other grades. This lesson also listsseveral resources on the subject.

Resources

> The Council on Interracial Books forChildren.

> Native Nevada Classroom. Feb. 25, 1998.<www.unr.edu/nnap/nt/I-8_0.htm>

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“This was their place

Today, it is called “Indiana.” The first settlers,Native Americans, called it by many names,including myaamionki and mihtohseenionki,which mean roughly the same thing: “Land ofthe Indians.” This was their place, long beforeit was Indiana. They lived here in harmonywith themselves, with the ways of MotherEarth and with the unseen spiritual powers ofthe Creator. They relied on their families, andthey relied on the land. Many believed theyhad sprang from the earth, because it, she, wasthe source of everything. Traditional NativeAmericans today, in Indiana and elsewhere,maintain these relationships, even thoughthey live in a modern world.

Specifically, this land we call Indiana wasThe Miami’s Place, The Wea’s Place, and ThePiankashaw’s Place. The southeastern tip wasThe Shawnee’s Place, and the parts farthestnorth were The Potawatomi’s Place.

No doubt when visitors come to “Indian”-aand its capitol, “Indian”-apolis, they expect tofind lots of Native Americans. And they arehere, but not in the numbers that once exist-ed. When the waapikilookiaki (a Miami termmeaning “those with white skin,” pronouncedwah-pay-kay-LOO-kee-AH-kee) appeared onthe eastern coast of the continent, the countrywas already full—in Native terms. But theNative Americans welcomed the newcomersand made a place for them to sit on their buf-falo robe, because there was plenty of room.

Soon, though, there were more white people.And more. And more. The newcomers neededmore and more space, pushing the tribes ontoa small corner of their buffalo robe.

And as more kept coming from across thewaters, there was no room left.

The white people demanded that the NativeAmericans move, and move, and move. Like adark, roiling storm, they had overcome thetribes in the east, and were looking westwardover the mountains that they called theAppalachians. In this region, the newcomerspushed out the Native Americans who calledthe Ohio land home and those who hadmade a new home there after being pushedout of the east. The Miami here made spacefor them.

But the space ran out. The newcomers tookMiami land first from the south, so theIndians moved north; everyone there maderoom for them. Eventually, the newcomerswanted more land, and many of them saidthey didn’t want to even be near Indians. Sothe newcomers told—and often forced—theIndians to keep moving.

And many did, taking with them handfulsof the soil so dear to them, that held thecenturies past and their ancestors before themand, they had thought, the promise of theirfutures. From 1805 to 1846, the majority ofthe Miami Nation, the Potawatomi Nationand the Delaware Nation made their way toforeign lands in present-day Kansas andMissouri*. And once again they were forced tomove, with many settling in Oklahoma.Through special acts of Congress or thePresident, a handful of extended families,totaling about 300 people, were allowed tostay in the Indiana region.

Ray W. Gonyea (Onondaga)Curator of Native American Art and CultureEiteljorg Museum of American Indians andWestern Art, Indianapolis

We call this land Myaamionki, the place of the Miami. But therewere, and are, many other people here—so, we also call itMihtohseenionki (The People’s Place).

– Daryl Baldwin (Miami Tribe of Oklahoma)

INTRODUCTION

*The Indiana Miami have questioned the accuracy of the historical record concerning the number of Miami relocated in 1846.

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But all these tribes still call the Indianaregion home. Many stayed in the Indianaregion, and many returned. They formed thecore of the Miami Indians of Indiana and thePokagon Band of Potawatomi. And many others,whose ancestors moved into this region duringthe upheaval, live here, too—the Shawnee, theWinnebago, the Ojibwa. Even other NativeAmericans, who come from much fartheraway, live in Indiana now. They still maintainties to their rich tribal heritage. But they liveand work in the modern world, just like every-one else.

First People, First PioneersNative Americans were the first pioneers,

exploring and occupying every corner of thiscontinent for thousands of years before theEuropeans came. Almost everyone came toIndiana from someplace else, even most of theNative Americans who lived here. All Indiannations living in the Midwest are part of theWoodlands Culture Area, comprised of tribeswhose cultures were based on the resources ofthe vast forests in the eastern United States.Aboriginal Indiana was unique because it hadboth forests and prairie grasslands.

Woodlands tribes lived in framed housescovered with large sheets of bark that theypeeled from trees. The Potawatomi and theMiami preferred dome-shaped houses, called awiikiaami by the Miami; these were seasonallycovered with bark or cattail mats. Othernations, such as the Delaware, lived in longhouses with domed or peaked roofs.

Most Woodland household utensils, likebowls and spoons, were made from wood orbark. Baskets were woven from thin woodsplints. Soft bags, woven of inner bark, wereall-purpose storage containers. Their mode ofwater transportation was the dugout canoe,hollowed from a tree.

The foods they ate included corn, beans andsquash. Women tended gardens, and alsogathered wild fruits, nuts and other edibleplants. Men supplemented this diet by huntingand fishing. Buffalo, fairly common in Indiana,were a source of food, materials and clothing;buffalo skins were tanned and made intoclothing, sewn with animal sinew anddecorated with porcupine quill embroideryor paintings. Beads for necklaces and braceletswere made from shell, bone or stone.

Making a Living at KekiongaNative Americans have always been practical,

selecting and adapting new materials and ideasto create something uniquely their own. Thismodel of cultural survival continues today.

For centuries, extensive trade routes connectedthe farthest corners of the continent, bringingfoodstuffs and raw materials from the easternseaboard to the Rocky Mountains. The tribesof the Indiana region, with territories astridethree of the primary waterways in the Midwest(the Ohio river, Wabash River and Great Lakesregion), had major centers of trade such asKekionga (now Fort Wayne, Indiana) on theMaumee River, and Cahokia in Illinois. Thesefunctioned as free trade zones, where friendsand enemy tribes mingled to exchange goods.

For centuries, Kekionga, a Miami trade center,was a key point. Located at the portage betweenthe Maumee and Wabash rivers, it connectedtrade routes extending east to the AtlanticOcean and south to the Gulf of Mexico. As atother key business crossroads throughout theworld, community members probably had tobe able to speak several languages, to havekeen negotiating skills and a great ability towork with people from different backgrounds.

The Miami produced a trade item that wasin very high demand—Miami corn. Driedcorn had to be pounded to turn it into flour—normally a difficult task—but Miami corn iseasily turned into fine flour. Consequently, itwas in high demand and traded widely atKekionga.

INTRODUCTION

A Miami Indian called KentuckGeorge Winter, watercolor andink on paper, .ca 1838 Image courtesy of Tippecanoe CountyHistorical Association

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Fur Trade Wars and TreatiesNative Americans from the Midwest region,

like Native people throughout the UnitedStates, have struggled to survive a very longperiod of sanctioned effort to relieve them oftheir land and their cultures. The founding ofthe United States of America in 1776 is oftenheralded as the coming of freedom and therights of the common man. In reality, it wasachieved at the expense of the indigenouspeoples who formerly lived in and owned theland along the eastern seaboard of NorthAmerica.

The fur trade, established in the 17th and18th centuries by Europeans and Euro-Americans, relied on the trade routes thatindigenous peoples had established long ago.This exchange of animal pelts for manufacturedgoods brought many new and beneficialproducts to Native Americans, includingtextiles, firearms and metal implements andcontainers. As eastern forests became over-hunted and fur supplies dwindled, trademoved westward. Tribes fought for control ofthe market for furs and trade goods. Duringthe 1600s, conflicts with the Iroquois causedmany tribes in the Indiana region to movewest of Lake Michigan, near present-dayWisconsin.

After peace was established in the early1700s, the Miami, Wea and Piankashawgradually returned to their traditional home-lands on the Wabash and St. Joseph riversalong the current Indiana/Michigan border.The Potawatomi, Illinios, Kickapoo,Mascouten and others followed.

Prior to the American Revolution, officialbusiness with Native Americans, like every-thing else in colonial America, was handledby the King of England’s bureaucracy from theother side of the Atlantic. The land claimrights of Native peoples were largely considereda nuisance and were dispensed of as quickly,conveniently, and cheaply as possible. A littlemore than a decade before the revolution, theBritish established “The Proclamation Line of1763,” a boundary along the peaks of theAppalachian Mountains, to prevent conflictbetween the tribes and intruding colonists. Itwas against the law for white settlers to passbeyond that line.

The Americans had learned to deal withindigenous nations a little better than theEnglish, probably because they were nearer toand dependent upon Native knowledge forsurvival in the New World. Americans clearlyrecognized Native tribes as independent nations.After 1776, the U.S. Government had firstright of purchase should Native Americansdecide to sell their lands. But once the Britishwere defeated, hordes of settlers moved west-ward over the mountains, crossing theproclamation line. This pattern of expansionismwould repeat itself throughout the history ofthe frontier.

Indiana tribes recognized and responded tothis threat by forming alliances with othertribes, even with former enemies. Tribesopposing American expansion included theShawnee, Canadian Iroquois, Wyandot,Mingo, Ottawa, Miami, Kickapoo, Delaware,Ottawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Fox and Sauk.In 1790, after efforts at a peaceful settlementfailed, Miami war chief Little Turtle and anestimated 800 warriors defeated the invadingarmy of Colonel Josiah Harmar near present-day Fort Wayne. A year later, General ArthurSt. Clair’s battalion was also soundly defeatedin western Ohio, suffering the most losses ofany U.S. Army in battles with Native peoples.

In 1794, General Anthony Wayne recruitedand rigorously trained a new legion; hedefeated the tribal alliance at the Battle ofFallen Timbers, on Miami land. The resultingGreenville Treaty of 1795 required the Miamiand other tribes to surrender most of thepresent state of Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

INTRODUCTION

Topash couple(PokagonBand ofPotawatomi)Image courtesyof Rae Daugherty(Pokagon Bandof Potawatomi)

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After the Treaty of Greenville, the maingroups of Delaware and Shawnee moved intothe present state of Indiana with the consentof the Miami, whose traditional territoryincluded all of what is now Indiana and westernOhio. With this action, the Miami bothhelped their allies and astutely established abuffer between themselves and the ever-expanding colonies.

The loss of Native territories helped lead tothe War of 1812. Shawnee chief Tecumseh andhis brother, the Prophet, tried to organize anew alliance of tribes who occupied landsextending from the Great Lakes to the Gulf ofMexico. Aware that war was coming, GeneralWilliam Henry Harrison delivered a pre-emptive strike in 1811 on the Prophet atProphetstown, and the intertribal alliance wasbroken. Tecumseh was later killed at theBattle of the Thames in Canada, which endedthe war.

According to oral tradition, nearly everytreaty the U.S. government made with NativeAmericans was delivered with these words: “Aslong as the grass will grow and the watersflow, the remaining lands will be yours.”

This promise was made so often that it isingrained in the hearts of Native Americans.But it was broken over and over again,throughout a long period as Indians wereremoved westward. (See the maps on pages 16and 17 for more information.) Some tribesmoved of their own accord. Then, in 1830,Congress passed the Indian Removal Act,mandating the relocation of tribes to landswest of the Mississippi.

On Being a Native AmericanFor Native Americans, identity is a complex

issue. Sometimes, it seems that the generalpublic forces us to prove our identity or to“measure up” to their expectations of what aNative American is supposed to be. “Indianreservations” are also misunderstood. Manypeople envision all manner of poverty andsuffering when they hear the word “reservation.”While there is some truth to that perception,the strength and resilience of our communitieshave allowed unique tribal cultures to survive.For many Native Americans, the reservationalways has been and will always be our home.

Having a space, or land base, where a group

can perpetuate its cultural heritage is criticalfor its survival as a distinct population. Thinkof Chinatown or Little Russia in New YorkCity, or the Polish community in Chicago.Reservations provide that same connectednessfor tribal Native Americans. Importantly, manyreservations are located within the originallands the tribes held before the Europeaninvasion.

Tribal cultures, languages, and religiousbeliefs have also survived in reservation com-munities across this country. Unfortunately,this knowledge has had to be maintained by adwindling number of elders. It’s important toremember that Native Americans today arerecovering from a long period of aggressiveofficial attempts to eliminate our traditionalknowledge and to make us part of theAmerican mainstream. We have experiencedtremendous cultural loss. Since the 1960s,however, a healthy sense of individual andtribal identity and interest in indigenouscultural traditions has been rekindled amongIndian people nationwide.

Land of My BloodNative Americans have much to teach their

fellow Americans. In many traditionalWoodlands cultures, for example, women playsignificant roles in tribal government, besidescaring for their families and other tribalmembers. Elders help pass along knowledgeabout cultural ways, and look after and educatethe younger generation about the responsibilitiesthey will assume. Art, which is based on theenvironment and its natural resources, iseverywhere in Native American cultures. Acommon everyday object might be carved orpainted with an image intended as a silentprayer, for protection or guidance when theobject is used. Traditional Native American artwas not realistic, but symbolic of the internalessence of an object, because only the Creatorcould create life.

And traditional Native Americans havealways been tolerant of one another’s beliefs.They respect that everyone is free to find hisor her own sense of place and balance in life.Historically, every Native person had a right tospeak during council meetings—men, women,the elderly, children, crying babies. Everybodygot up and spoke their minds on an issue!

INTRODUCTION

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Decisions were and still are generally madeby group consensus.

Wherever they live, Woodland tribes stillselect their own leaders, but it is through a“democratic” American process mandated bythe federal government, complete withAmericanized symbols of office. Today, how-ever, Americans, and even some NativeAmericans, seem to think that America inventeddemocracy, forgetting how our ancestors livedwhen Europeans first met these free men andwomen.

But perhaps the greatest “gift” of NativeAmericans to this nation has been their land.

Most Native American cultures refer to theearth as Mother Earth because she gives birthto living things, to plants and vegetation. Shefeeds all living things with the many fruits ofher body, just as a mother feeds her children.Our cultures were formed from the resourcesshe provides to us.

For many Native people, Earth was theMother, the Sun, the Father, and MorningStar, their son. Many indigenous nations haveorigin stories describing how they originallycame from the sky, so they see the stars andconstellations as their relatives. One can neverfeel alone because relatives are literally every-where. Death is the return of our physicalbody to the womb of the mother, the Earth,from which we all came, providing her theingredients to make new life. So when NativeAmericans in the Indiana Woodlands werepressured to give up their lands and move, itmust have been difficult, because, truly, theland was of their flesh and blood.

The influence of Native Americans is visiblethroughout this state. Probably the majority ofthe names of Indiana’s rivers and streams are ofNative origin, or associated in some way withthe history and culture of Native Americans.Usually, a Native name is associated with aprominent natural feature; the name forthe “Wabash” River, for example, was“Waapaahsiiki,” which refers to a riverbed ofwhite limestone found on the upper part ofthe river.

So it is ironic that the United States governmentcontinues to chip away at the sovereignty ofthe Indian tribes that had shown such respectfor the ways that white people conducted theiraffairs. Even after all the land was taken away

from Native Americans, the newcomersweren’t satisfied. They began to take back eventheir recognition of the tribes. An 1854 treatyformally recognized the Miami Tribe ofIndians of Indiana, but in 1897, a departmentof the government rescinded that recognition—even though only Congress has the right to doso. The Miami were only the first of manytribes the federal government said no longerexisted. In the Midwest, the Pokagon Band ofPotawatomi of northern Indiana and southernMichigan, formally recognized in severaltreaties, saw their recognition withdrawnin 1939.

These tribes weren’t considered Indianbecause they no longer had any land tocall their own.

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi’s federalrecognition was restored in 1994 by PresidentBill Clinton. The Indiana Miami haven’t beenso lucky. The government didn’t set guidelinesfor acknowledging Indian tribes until 1978. In1984, the Miami submitted a petition to theU.S. Interior Department to restore federalrecognition of their tribe, but the Bureau ofIndian Affairs denied it in 1992. And onFebruary 19, 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court letstand a ruling by the Seventh U.S. Circuit Courtof Appeals that the Indiana Miami were nolonger a tribe as defined by the U.S. government.

It is critical that Native Americans be awardedthe respect they deserve as members of sovereignnations; it is critical that we all understandthat we are inextricably connected to oneanother. If the earth is the mother of all livingthings, then we are all related!

INTRODUCTION

Mildred Walker(Miami Tribe ofOklahoma),2001Photo: Julie Olds(Miami Tribe ofOklahoma)

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Myaamiaki (The Miami People): MiamiOnce known as tweehtwee (the People of the Crane), the Miami are a central Algonquian tribe who originallylived in present-day Indiana and western Ohio region. Today, the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana hasoffices in Peru, Indiana. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, federally-recognized, has offices in Miami, Okla.

Bodewadmi (Keepers of the Fire): PotawatomiAlso known as nIshnabe’k (True Humans), the Potawatomi lived throughout the Great Lakes regions.Today, there are several bands of Potawatomi living in Indiana, Michigan, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Lenape (The Original People): DelawareThe Delaware originally lived in the east along the Delaware River and were among the first tribes toencounter the newcomers. They moved farther west several times. Today, there are five main tribes ofDelaware, two in Oklahoma and three in Canada.

Sawanwa (People of the South): ShawneeThe original homelands of the Shawnee were probably in southern Ohio, but during the Fur Trade,they moved east to live with the Delaware. By 1760, they had returned to Ohio. Today, there are twofederally-recognized tribes of Shawnee—one in Oklahoma, one in Missouri. Many Shawnee also livein Indiana and Ohio.

Waayaahtanwa (Place of the Curved Channel): WeaThe Wea, along with the Piankashaw, were originally one tribe with the Miami. After separating(before contact with Europeans), they still maintained common language, kinship, culture and territory.During the Removal period, the Wea and Piankashaw moved West several times, eventually joiningwith Peoria Tribe in Oklahoma. Some Wea still live in the Indiana region.

Peeyankisia (Those Who Separate): PiankashawThe Piankashaw, along with the Wea, were originally one tribe with the Miami. After separating(before contact with Europeans), they still maintained common language, kinship, culture and territory.During the Removal period, the Piankashaw and the Wea moved farther West several times, eventuallyjoining with the Peoria in Oklahoma.

Kiwigapaw (He Stands About): KickapooAfter the fur trade wars, the Kickapoo moved into western Illinois and Indiana region. They movedWest several times, with tribes located today in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico.

Muskuta (Little Prairie People): MascoutenAfter the Fur Trade wars, some Mascouten returned to their homeland in southern Michigan and somemoved to the Illinois/Indiana region. A decline in population in the late 1700s forced them to join theKickapoo. They do not survive today as a tribal entity.

Inoca (Uncertain): Illinois ConfederacyIllinois refers to several related tribes including the Illini, Kaskaskia and Cahokia, who were united bya common language. After 1830, they were pushed out of Illinois. In the 1850s, they merged with thePeoria in Kansas and relocated with them to Oklahoma.

Hocagra or Ho-Chunk (Big Fish/Great Voice): WinnebagoTheir original homelands are west of Lake Michigan in present-day Wisconsin. After they sold theirhomelands for lands in Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska, some moved there and some wereable to use the 1862 Homestead Act to purchase back some of their land in Wisconsin.

Odawa (Traders): OttawaThe Ottawa are a member of the Anishnabe, which includes the Potawatomi and Chippewa. Their originalhomelands were in northern Michigan. Today they have several tribal communities in western Michigan.

Asakiwaki (Yellow Earths): Sauk Meskwahkihaki (Red Earths): FoxOriginally two independent tribes, the Sauk & Fox lived west of Lake Michigan. In 1733, the Fox(defeated by the French) sought shelter with the Sauk. Both were eventually removed to Kansas. In the1840s, the Fox went to Iowa and took their name for themselves, Mesquakie. The others were removedto Oklahoma and became known as the Sac & Fox.

Wendat (One Language): WyandotThe Wyandot are comprised of survivors of the Huron and Petun tribes destroyed by the Iroquois around1650 during the Fur Trade wars. Coalescing in northwest Ohio as the Wyandot, they were relocated toKansas in 1832, then to northeast Oklahoma in 1856. They presently reside in Wyandotte, Okla.

Peoples of the Indiana Region

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Native Land Cessions

1. G.R. Clark’s Grant, 1783

2. Greenville, 1795

3. Fort Wayne, 1803

4. Vincennes, 1804

5. Grouseland, 1805

6. Fort Wayne, 1809

7. Fort Wayne, 1809

8. Maumee, 1817

9. New Purchase, 1818

10. Chicago, 1783

11. Mississinewa, 1826

12. Mississinewa, 1826

13. Carey Mission, 1828

14. Tippecanoe, 1832

15. Tippecanoe, 1832

16. Wabash, 1834

17. Wabash, 1840

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