The Miami Awakening (Miami Language Film)

Myaamiaki Eemamwiciki: The Miami Awakening is a Miami language film. Released in May 2009, this film attempts to capture the complexities of reclaiming a language from documentation for the Myaamia people.

Dormant-language revitalization is becoming a reality for many tribes and this film challenges the academically imposed label "extinct" that often gets applied to languages that have lost their native speakers. The Myaamia people have experienced unprecedented changes in their community over the last 15 years due to their language and cultural revitalization programs. Although this video was created for the Myaamia community, we hope the story will empower other communities who are trying to revive their languages from documentation.

Created over nearly three years, this film was produced by Sandy and Yasu Osawa (Upstream Productions). Sandy and Yasu worked closely with members of the Myaamia community, tribal leaders, the Tribe’s Cultural Resources Office, and the Myaamia Project at Miami University. The Myaamia community is honored to work with the Osawas and feel strongly they were the best choice in helping the community tell the story about their journey in recovering and awakening an integral part of their national identity.