Myaamia and Athletics: A Partnership

story: Peyton Gigante

Something any Miami University student, staff or alumni could tell you is that history is a large part of what makes Miami unique. One of Miami’s most unique bits of history, tradition, and heritage is the university’s relationship with the Miami tribe, which has an intricate and woven heritage, much like their ribbonwork.

Since 1972, the Miami Tribe and Miami University have had a special connection. In 1997, Miami University changed their mascot name out of respect of the Miami Tribe’s wishes. In 2017, the Miami Heritage Logo and Collection was launched.

And now, in 2018, Miami Athletics is one of five partners that are taking that relationship with the Miami Tribe one step further, announcing the addition of the Myaamia Heritage Logo to its 2018- 2019 communication’s efforts.

“Miami Athletics is extraordinarily proud to join the university’s effort to increase awareness of this unique collection between a tribe and university by providing a platform to showcase the Myaamia Heritage Logo,” David Sayler, Miami University athletic director, says.

The Myaamia Heritage Logo shows the relationship between the tribe and the University.

This important image is called the Neepwaantiinki. The symbol is meant to represent ribbonwork, a traditional Miami Tribe art form. The left side represents the Miami Tribe, and the right represents Miami University. The two are connected by a central diamond that represents a shared vision by the university and tribe, and the red circle is a fire that keeps burning.

The university and tribe are hopeful that the image will have a great impact on the student body and the special groups who wear it proudly.

“We are trying to establish partnerships across the campus. We’re trying to go with admissions, Alumni, residence life, the parent’s office and athletics,” Bobbe Burke, Coordinator for Tribe Relations, says.

From changing the mascot in athletics, to now creating a new connection with the athletic department to show the support, respect and cooperation the two entities have for each other, the mutual respect the Miami Tribe and the university has is only growing.

“It is important we continue to educate our students, athletes, fans and constituents about the true meaning behind the Miami Heritage Logo, and that we are partners in education,” Sayler says.

At the beginning of the semester, Miami athletes were given shirts that represent athletics and the Miami Tribe, as they depict the Miami Heritage Logo. The Myaamia Center partnered with the athletics department to create this shirt.

“They give their athletes a t-shirt every year, and so, in that respect they said, ‘Well we’ve got the t-shirt and we haven’t designed what to put on it yet,’ and we said, ‘Let’s go with this,’” Burke says. “The word on the athletic shirt is ‘strive’ in the Miami Language, and what do they want from their athletes? To strive for excellence.”

Many Miami athletes are proud to wear and promote a symbol of the university and tribe’s relationship.

“I think this year they have made a much larger effort, especially with the shirt. In previous years there was nothing that related us to the Myaamia tribe or anything, so relationship is great,” Lindsay Dauch, junior volleyball player, says.

The efforts to increase Miami students’ knowledge about the Miami Tribe are on the rise with the addition of the new Miami Heritage Logo Collection. It is printed on shirts, hats and even cornhole sets. This partnership is going beyond just the Miami Tribe and the Myaamia Center, it’s going campus wide.

“What we want to have happen is when athletes wear the shirt and someone asks, “What is that?”’ they say, ‘This is about this relationship that we have with the Miami Tribe, and the symbol represents how we work together,’” Burke says.