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The Midwest is typically defined as a site of Indigenous erasure. But citizens of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma continue to live in their original homeland despite the official removal of their people from the Wabash River Valley in 1846. Myaamia families who stayed behind used fee simple family reserves as a tool to combat ethnic cleansing. Despite their keen understanding of American property law, settlers in the Hoosier state crafted "Red Codes," laws and enforcement regimes targeting Indigenous peoples, to achieve their dispossession. Red Codes, akin to the more well-known Black Codes, reveal how state and local authorities designed laws to advance white supremacy. The appropriation and performance of Indigeneity grew out of the race-based legal regimes that defined the nineteenth-century Midwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excavations of human remains at Strawtown Koteewi County Park in Hamilton County, Indiana, began in 2001 and continued unchecked until the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma filed an official complaint in 2012 with the National Park Service claiming that Hamilton County Parks and Recreation were in violation of NAGPRA laws. Indiana's Department of Natural Resources, the state archaeologist, and numerous professional archaeologists associated with Indiana universities condoned and supported the illegal excavations. The publicity regarding the NAGPRA violations led to some changes, but state and county agencies continue to refute their responsibilities for the protection and repatriation of Native American human remains and antiquities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a response to the position paper "Pathways Forward for Indigenous Language Reclamation: Engaging Indigenous Epistemology and Learning by Observing and Pitching in to Family and Community Endeavors," by Henne–Ochoa et al., which appears within the issue. It discusses efforts towards language revival of the Miami people's endangered, or sleeping, myaamiaataweenki language, including teaching this language to Miami children as a second language.

Some Native American college students, like many college students, engage in a complex process of identity formation that involves discovering their culture. This ongoing identity formation process impacts various aspects of their lives including academic achievement and sense of belonging. This study examined the process of one cohort of Native American college students, Myaamia Tribe (Miami Nation), as they matriculated through a predominantly White institution that shares their tribal name. Results suggest that identity is influenced through a series of courses designed to provide deeper learning about tribal culture and language. The relational bonds to other tribal students and the cultural knowledge that emerged from the series of culture courses not only influenced identity development but also contributed to academic retention and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the ideas of the French, Miami Indians, and Americans concerning the Indian community of Prophetstown, Indiana, founded by Shawnee leaders Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh. It comments on the nativist message of Tenskwatawa, also called the Prophet. The author considers cultural identities and ethnic factionalism. Other topics include frontier violence, the policies of U.S. President William Henry Harrison, and the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, Indiana.

The article discusses contemporary Miami language practices in relation to prevailing notions of Native American languages as antiquated or extinct. Particular focus is given to the use of the myaamia language as spoken by modern Miami peoples. According to the author, contemporary usages of both English and myaamia demonstrate the Miami peoples' adaptation and persistence. Details related to Miami language practices in song, games, and everyday communication are presented. Topics discussed include language reclamation and notions of success and failure surrounding language revivals.

The article discusses the history of Native American removal in the state of Indiana in the 1800s and examines how the acquisition of this land by the U.S. government transformed the culture of northern Indiana. It overviews the history of conflict in Ohio and Indiana between Indian tribes such as the Potawatomi and Miami and U.S. Army forces during the War of 1812, explores differences between Indian and American views regarding land ownership, and describes the establishment of the U.S. General Land Office (GLO) and their efforts to acquire Indian land in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Other topics include the Treaty of the Mississinewa in 1826, Potawatomi land cessions in 1828 and 1832, and the U.S. Indian Removal Act of 1830.

The article examines the contemporary relative dearth of Native American tribes in the state of Illinois, comparing the number of Native Americans in the state to other former states of the U.S. Northwest Territory. The effect of traditional Native American tribal migration patterns on the Indian presence in the state following the Indian removal process is analyzed. The history of the Illinois Indian Tribal Confederation is also provided, with a focus on the presence of the Miami, Potawatomi, and Mesquakie tribes, among others, in these various states. The author documents Indian military alliances with various colonial powers, as well as fur trade relationships. The author concludes that Illinois' position is unique among the former states of the Northwest Territory.

The article discusses a Miami woman named Maconaquah (Young Bear), otherwise known as Frances Slocum, a white woman who lived among Native Americans in the 19th century. The article mentions captivity narratives, the relationship between whites and Indians in the U.S., colonization, race mixing, intersections of cultures, intermarriages, and the fixed nature of racial categories. The article also discusses indigenous lands, the subjugation of American Indians, narratives of "Anti-Conquest," and the cross-cultural world of the Great Lakes region of the U.S.

Examines the relation of the schoolhouse project with the cultural history of Miami Indians in Indiana. Significance of the schoolhouse on the cultural traditions of Indians; Repartition of the reserve under the General Allotment Act; Social condition of the tribes following the repartition.

Reviews the exhibition `In the Presence of the Past: The Miami Indians of Indiana,' on view at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana until September 1998.

Discusses the position of the Miami Indians in the Midwest during the period immediately preceding the French and Indian War in the U.S. during the eighteenth century. French and British foreign policies during the period; Miamis' torn allegiance between French and British traders; Division of the Miami into pro- and anti-French groups.