"Making science relevant in myaamia education using ašiihkiwi-kiišikwi (Earth-Sky) words and stories"

Science and cultural education are typically viewed as opposing methodologies, too often resulting in a complete disconnect in their teaching. Yet they both share the same goal – to understand the complex relationships that occur in the natural world. In this talk, we will discuss the history of myaamionki (the place of the Miami) – which includes both ašiihkiwi below and kiišikwi above – from its origin, through the arrival of the myaamia, to the modern day, and into the future.

I will illustrate how cultural knowledge in the form of words and stories complement scientific knowledge of the formation of myaamionki. We will discuss how knowledge held by earlier inhabitants of myaamionki overlaps with myaamia stories and overlap and extend modern scientific knowledge. I will examine how science as one component of myaamia neepwaantiinki (Miami education) benefits from knowledge of our language and culture, which preserves a centuries-long record of environmental change. Finally, we will examine how our view of myaamionki continues to evolve as citizens of our Tribe participate in the global exploration of our universe, changing once-unknown landscapes into familiar parts of myaamionki.