Growing up, first-year environmental earth science major Pimyotomah Hartleroad had a strong connection to their culture as a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
When Hartleroad came to Miami University, they learned that not every student had the same knowledge of their Myaamia culture, history and language.
“I was blessed to have some instilled within me when I was young,” Hartleroad said. “But a lot of these kids, they’re coming in here, they don’t know nothing.”
Fortunately, the Myaamia Center offers plentiful opportunities for Myaamia students to reconnect with their heritage.
“We have a special program where Myaamia kids from all across the country can come here, learn our language, our culture and our history,” Hartleroad said.
Even though Hartleroad is a member of the Miami tribe, they don't see their identity as something that should set them apart. However, they emphasized how the lands upon which the school is built hold a special significance to them.
“Being a Myaamia person, it definitely influenced the way I see the world,” Hartleroad said. “[I] feel a connection with the land in which I come from.”
To further connect with their culture, Hartleroad said they attended powwows across the country where they performed as a dancer to share Myaamia culture and tell various types of stories.
“When I’m out there [dancing] I can be what I want to be depending on what kind of story I want to tell,” Hartleroad said. “I can be a warrior. I can be someone out on a hunt. I could be playing a game of lacrosse. It just really depends on what kind of story I want to tell.“
Hartleroad emphasized the importance of bringing energy to the arena to dance because it inspires other young people to dance and take an interest in their culture as well.
They want everyone to keep an open mind when it comes to learning about Indigenous peoples and said no one fits a stereotypical image of an Indigenous person.
“Education around Indigenous people is very limited,” Hartleroad said. “Lots of people have this image in their head of what an Indigenous person should look like, and they might look at me and be like, ‘Oh well [they] don’t fit that image,’ but nobody fits the stereotypical image of any group.”
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Hartleroad said most Indigenous people and others from different cultures are understanding and willing to have conversations.
“Don’t be scared of asking what you think is a stupid question,” Hartleroad said.
Hartleroad said many instances of bias or prejudice come from a lack of understanding. For Miami to help remedy this, they suggested that the university should provide more opportunities focusing on Myaamia and other Indigenous peoples.
“Indigenous people,” Hartleroad said, “even though we have this perceived identity of what we have to be, we can be whoever we want.”
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