Miami

Nation

Algonquian
Part of a loose confederation of six independent nations. Each nation had its own chiefs and separate governments
Apparently came from the Fisher culture which was part of the Mississippian culture

First recorded meeting of Europeans and Miami is in 1668 in Wisconsin.
Competition between the French and British caused the Miami to move around and to change alliances.
Had an important village at the current Piqua, Ohio, which was burned by the French in 1752.
In 1757 smallpox epidemic took a heavy toll on the Miami people.
Even after the Revolutionary War, hostilities continued between settlers and Native people of Ohio.
After the Revolutionary War, the Western Alliance was formed. A major goal was for Natives to keep their land.
The Treaty of Fort Harmer was made, but it was worthless as soon as it was signed. The treaty defined the western border for settlement as the Muskingum River.
The Miami people stayed out of the War of 1812.
In 1846, the Miami were moved to the Indian territories (from Indiana).

Descent came through the father.
Chiefs had a religious function within the nation.
Early Miami were farmers noted for a unique variety of white corn. Also had many other crops.
Houses were a long house with an arched roof made of saplings and covered with rush or cattail mats.
Also had a central large house for councils and ceremonies.
Early Miami had a reputation for liking fancy clothing. Tattooing was common for both sexes.
The men wore cloth shirts, leggings and breechcloths with much ornamentation. Earrings, nose rings and face painting were common.
Women wore shirts and decorated capes that were attached to the shirt. They wore two styles of skirts -- a wrap and a cylindrical one, both decorated with ribbon or bead work and silver.
Miami moccasins were distinctive and easy to identify. The flaps came together from the middle to the point of the toe.

Became War Chief of the Western Alliance, an alliance ready to defend Native American rights in Ohio.
His tactical skills were impressive and the early efforts to take Ohio were disastrous.
An early morning assault by Little Turtle against General Arthur St. Clair was considered to be the worst defeat inflicted on the U.S. Army at the hands of Native Americans.
"Mad" Anthony Wayne moved to Ohio and established himself at Fort Greenville.
Little Turtle was replaced by Blue Jacket as the War Chief of the Alliance. A week later the alliance met Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and was defeated.
This defeat led to the Greenville Treaty.
Little Turtle and the Miami were the last signators on the treaty and symbolically the last to cede their rights.
Little Turtle settled in Indiana and became the Miami Peace Chief. He brought the first smallpox vaccinations to his people.
After the death of Little Turtle, most of the Miami joined Tecumseh.

By 1813 the death of Tecumseh killed any hope of the Miami people remaining in the Ohio country.
Many moved to Indiana, but in 1846, the Miami boarded canal boats to begin their journey to eastern Kansas.
One group of Miami remained in Indiana, but in 1897, for no apparent reason, the U.S. government terminated the Indiana Miami as a tribal nation.
Eventually the Kansas Miami moved to Oklahoma Indian Territory.
By the 1930s both the Oklahoma and Indiana Miami had lost all of their land.
Since then the Oklahoma Miami have acquired 160 acres.
The Indian Miami continue to fight to be recognized as a Native people.

Miami Indians Ohio History Central http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/ohc/history/h_indian/tribes/miami.shtml
Miami http://www.geo.msu.edu/geo333/Miamis.html
Social Dances of the Lenape and Other North-Eastern Indian Tribes http://www.delawaretribeofindians.nsn.us/social_dance.html