RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED RETURN SERVICE MIAMI, OK 74355 MIAMI NATION An Official Publication of the Sovereign Miami Nation BOX 1326 P.O. STIGLER, OK 74462 PERMIT NO 49 PERMIT PAID US POSTAGE PR SRT STD PR SRT Vol. 10, No. 1 myaamionki pipoonwi 2010 TRIBAL NEWS Chief Reports Pg 2 Dalai Lama Pg 1, 2, 3 Fisher House/8a Pg 3 Head Start Pg 4 IMLS Grant Pg 5 MHMA Pg 5 Employee Spotlight Pg 7 65 Road Project Pg 9 Dalai Lama Greeted By Miami Tribe Community Hayward Book Pg 7 At Miami University By George Ironstrack, Myaamia Project Poetry Book Pg 8 On October 21, Miami University was of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. In In the informal talk that followed, the National Gathering Pg 8 honored to host a visit of the Dalai this address, Daryl recounted a brief Dalai Lama spoke at length about the Deaths Pg 11 Lama to its campus in Oxford, Ohio. version of our Nation’s history using importance of maintaining one’s heri- Tribal leaders, educators, and students the council fire as a metaphor for com- tage language and culture. The Dalai Culture & History all played a significant role in welcom- munity loss (the dying of flames) and Lama himself experienced removal of ing the Dalai Lama to our traditional the power of revitalization (the rekin- a sort when he was forced to flee his Myaamia miincipi Pg 5 homelands. The Dalai Lama is a spiri- dling of a community fire from a few homeland, Tibet, at the age of sixteen. Walking Myaamionki Pg 6 tual leader to millions of Buddhists as embers). The Miami Tribe’s greeting Since that day in 1959, the Chinese Language Pg 10 well as the exiled head of state of Ti- concluded with a song performed by government refuses to allow him to Arts Pg 12 bet. His followers refer to him by the a group Miami Tribe students from return. Since the early 1950s, the Chi- formal title “His Holiness the 14th Da- Miami University. Videos of Daryl’s nese government has maintained the lai Lama.” However, since none of the speech and the students’ song as well position that Tibet is a part of China. Events Miami people who interacted with him as photos from the event can be viewed From his new home in Dharamsala, Event Notices Pg 8, 9, 11 were Buddhists, they opted to instead on the Myaamia Project’s Facebook India, the Dalai Lama and his advisors use the meaningful Myaamia honor- page (see the entry from November 1 have established a Tibetan govern- ific, Neepwaankie (teacher), when ad- and October 25, 2010). ment in exile and have worked for de- dressing the Dalai Lama. The last presentation to the Dalai cades to preserve the Tibetan language The visit began with a medium sized Lama was by Professor Glenn Platt and culture. Today, there is a whole gathering in Miami University’s Hall and the Armstrong Interactive Media generation of Tibetans who were born Auditorium. Neepwaankia the Dalai Studies (AIMS) Department. Pro- outside of Tibet, and have never been Lama was first welcomed by our good fessor Platt and his colleagues dem- allowed to visit their homelands. As friend Dr. David Hodge, the President onstrated some technological tools he recounted the story of his people, of Miami University. Dr. Hodge also that they have developed to help the it became increasingly clear that the awarded the Dalai Lama with an hon- Tibetans preserve their language and Miami Tribe shares much in common orary doctorate in law from the Uni- culture. These tools include a website with the Tibetan people. Sadly, our versity. Next, the Dalai Lama was that teaches the basics of the Tibetan experiences with colonization and op- presented with an International Lead- language, a digital process for preserv- pression of language and culture are ership Award by Miami University ing Tibetan Buddhist prayer scrolls, quite similar. alumnus Mr. Harry T. Wilks. and a three dimensional recreation of a After these two prestigious awards, Buddhist sand mandala (a sand paint- Daryl Baldwin welcomed the Dalai ing that Tibetan Buddhists carefully See DALAI LAMA page 2 Lama to our homelands on the behalf create as a form of meditative prayer). Tribal Member Darren Cruzan aacimwita akima The Chief Reports: pg 2 Promoted in BIA Office of Justice Services By Hugh Morgan Three years after Darren Cruzan began his law enforce- ily and friends while ment career in Joplin, Mo., he received a telephone call growing up in Cart- from Chief Floyd Leonard at the Miami Tribe. It was 1995 erville, a town not far and that call changed Cruzan’s life. from Joplin. During And by hard work with his eyes always focused on work- his childhood, he also ing with the community, Cruzan has been named the top fostered ties with the law enforcement officer for the U.S. Bureau of Indian Af- Miami Tribe through fairs. his mother, the late At the end of September, Larry Echo Hawk, Assistant Shirley Sweeten, and Secretary/ Indian affairs for the U.S. Department of the In- the encouragement of terior, announced that Cruzan, an enrolled member of the his father Keith Sweet- Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, was the new deputy bureau di- en, who helped raise rector of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Jus- Darren since he was tice Services. eight years of age. His In his post, he heads not only the law enforcement office mother was the sister Darren Cruzan in Washington, D.C., but is the top Indian Country law en- of Chief Leonard. Dar- forcement official throughout the United States. ren’s sister, Tammy, served at the Miami Tribe’s princess/ “I am honored to be rejoining the Office of Justice Ser- ambassador for a year and Darren would accompany her vices and to lead this group of dedicated women and men while she performed many duties for the tribe. serving Indian Country,” Cruzan said at the time. “Because In 1995, Chief Leonard was well aware of Darren’s suc- of the many challenges currently faced in Indian Country, it cess as a police officer and as a human being. is with a sense of urgency that we will move forward with At the time, the Miami Tribe was just starting its po- creative, innovative and meaningful initiatives designed to lice force. The Tribe had just received a federal grant to improve the quality of life for our tribal communities.” hire an officer for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education “The recently signed Tribal Law and Order Act affords (D.A.R.E.) Program. Chief Leonard knew this could be the us the opportunity to improve law enforcement services in start of the tribe’s police force, so he wanted to get some- Myaamia Christmas Indian Country and promotes positive changes in the way one already experienced in both law enforcement and the Ornament: pg 12 we serve and protect our people,” he added. American-Indian community. His approach involves community and it can be seen in the many successful positions he has held and in his fam- See Cruzan page 4 2 aatotankiki myaamiaki, pipoonwi 2010 aacimwita akima: The Chief Reports By Chief Tom Gamble - katakimaankwa Aya ceeki eeweemilakakoki! As business National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) slows down for the holiday season I would in Washington, D.C. who announced that the like to take this opportunity to send best association would be honoring the Miami wishes and season’s greetings and to give an Tribe of Oklahoma by naming its main meeting overview of some exciting events and activi- room in its new D.C. building after the Miami ties that have taken place since we last met for Tribe. NIGA announced “The Miami Room” annual meeting. would include the seal for the Miami Tribe on I would like to begin by mentioning the very its interior wall with pictures of past Chiefs of important and emotional journey I made to the the Miami Tribe. This honor comes as the re- ancestral lands of the Miami people in Septem- sult of the Tribe’s long support of NIGA for ber en route to the Green Teachers Seminar in its commitment to the support of Tribal sover- Oxford, Ohio. In Ft. Wayne, IN, I was greeted eignty and protection of Indian Gaming. warmly by tribal members who escorted me Politically, we have seen a positive change on a boat tour of the three rivers to view loca- in recent federal legislation pertaining to tribes tions where Miami villages, Miami campsites with the Cobell settlement and a the federal and historic Forts previously stood. I visited government’s recent proposed legislation to the final resting place of the great Chief, Lit- reverse the wrongly decided Carcieri case tle Turtle and visited the historic Richardville by enacting S. 1703 and H.R. 3742, a bill to home. This was a beautiful, heart-warming amend the Indian Reorganization Act to reaf- experience which I will not forget. firm the authority of the Secretary of the Inte- This fall I represented the Tribe traveling rior to take land into trust for Indian tribes. to Dover, Maryland for the dedication of the In moving forward into 2011, a primary fo- Fisher House for Families of the Fallen, a new cus for the Tribe will be the drafting of a pre- facility constructed by the Miami Tribe of liminary strategic 5-year plan. This is an im- Oklahoma’s 8a efforts at the Dover Air Force mense project that will include the 38 tribal Base.