Myaamia Language programs
Since 2015 linguist Sara Acton and I have worked to design and offer Myaamia language and grammar workshops for adults that are accessible and give adult learners the knowledge and skills they need to engage contemporary Myaamia language resources. In consultation with the Miami Nation of Indiana council we developed a 4 tiered bi-lingual educator certificate program.
As of 2024, Dr. Glassburn is shifting towards a new retreat model for adults in which these programs are offered through a partnership with Peace Studies at Manchester University. This new model moves away from the co-learning classroom style workshops and towards a camp-like space that focuses more on fostering meaningful relationships, knowledge sharing, and building a community of Myaamia speakers.
Some of the programs for adults include:
keešaakosita: introductory Myaamia grammar workshop for adults
This is the most commonly taught course and many students enjoy taking this workshop repeatedly to brush up on their skills. In this workshop, participants learn how to sound out Myaamia words, how to make commands and boss around family members (Come here! Brush your teeth! Dance!), and how to use the various Myaamia dictionaries to describe items and beings from a Myaamia point of view.
saakiwa: the intermediate Myaamia grammar workshop for adults
Learners expand their understanding of Myaamia language history and learn how to describe relationships between beings and items to say things like “I found the keys!.” By the end of this workshop, participants can talk about actions in the future or the past and use adverbs to describe the world in more detail, “I eventually found the keys” or “I quickly found the keys.” Participants gather words around themes (like cooking and eating) and learn the difference between describing the world from a Myaamia viewpoint and from using Myaamia words to describe the world from an English language perspective.
nepale neepwankia: the advanced Myaamia grammar workshop for adults
This workshop is designed for advanced students who are ready to make a commitment to be an active participant in community-wide language learning. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to use all four Myaamia verb types and engage in rich conversations about how historical documents shape contemporary language reclamation. After this workshop, participants will be able to better understand the underlying meaning of common Myaamia phrases and will be expected to begin assisting teaching introductory language workshops.
waawiyiisita: mastering and teaching Myaamia program for adults
This is the final of the four workshops, designed for folks who want to engage in deeper, more philosophical discussions of the Myaamia language and to learn how serve as a leader of language reclamation for the Miami Nation. To complete this certificate, participants must successfully teach the first three workshops, learn how to connect historical language resources to contemporary language work, and take on responsibilities as a community educator and knowledge holder.
When new programs are scheduled, they will be posted on the events section of this website.
The workbooks and other language learning resources associated with these workshops are currently only available to participants in the workshop. We are in the process of creating new language learning resources for Miami to use at home on their own. When those new resources are available, we will shout it out in every way we can. Thank you for your ongoing support and patience as we do this work.
Summer program for youth
saakiciweeyankwi, language and culture camp for Miami Nation of Indiana youth.
This camp was formed in 2007 by Glassburn, Scott Shoemaker, Erin Dunnegan Oliver, and Sarah Siders and continues today by centering the values of reclamation: building robust networks of community across MNI families and clans, connecting youth to Myaamia language, history, and culture, and spending time learning together and caring for one another. This camp is only available to members of the Miami Nation of Indiana and run entirely on volunteer labor. If you wish to support these efforts, please consider a direct donation to the Miami Nation of Indiana. When new dates are available for upcoming camp, it will be posted as an event on this website.
online Resources for Myaamia learners
If you are eager to learn more about the Miami language, and you don’t know where to begin, you can start listening to the audio files that are provided in the online Myaamia dictionary.
The online Myaamia dictionary is available through your web browser or as an app on your phone; however, this dictionary is constantly changing and evolving. Some people get frustrated with the frequent changes to the dictionary. As a beginner, I would focus on exploring the language and listening to the audio files to get a sense of how the language sounds. One of the biggest challenges for new learners is to get up the courage to work on forming the words in your mouth. Use the audio files to start practicing pronunciation at home and with your relatives.
For intermediate learners, please note that the online dictionary has recently begun emphasizing verb endings that were more commonly used historically by Myaamia speakers recorded in Kansas or Oklahoma rather than Indiana Myaamia speakers. There is also a recent emphasis on story-telling verb conjugations, which are not used in everyday speech. Some learners may find these differences disorientating, but living languages are changing all the time.
The choices being made around the ILDA online dictionary are expressions of the priorities of the Myaamia Center, its leadership, and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma - such variations do not change the value, legitimacy, or usefulness of the language handed down in your family at all. Continue to hold onto the language and its spellings as it is used in your family!
Note about Š and accessibility on this website: some of you might have noticed that throughout this website the Š is in a different font then the rest of the website, which is unfortunate and marks the Š letter as out of the norm. Š is a common letter used in Myaamia that makes a “sh” sound. On this website I chose to use a sans serif based font because it is easier for people to read in general, and it helps to make this website more accessible for many elders and folks with dyslexia. This website platform does not provide a sans serif based Š letter, instead it is only available in a serified font, which is a more challenging font style for many people to read. I personally dislike that the Š is in a different font, but I prefer to prioritize accessibility over style.