Myaamia Students

In August, 1991, three Miami Tribe members became the first Miami Tribe students to enroll at Miami University. Two students, Scott Burkybile and Tina Holan, were first-year students. Rachel Hall (Eikenberry), was a graduate student who graduated in 1994. Scott, the first Myaamia undergraduate student to graduate from Miami University (in 1995), is the son of Sharon Burkybile, the first Miami Tribe liaison to Miami University.

Since then, many Myaamia students have chosen to receive their college education at the University bearing their Tribe's name. Over the years, the number of enrolled Myaamia students each semester has steadily grown and now commonly reaches 30 or more.

Myaamia students enroll at the University from states all across the country. Although the Tribe's headquarters are in Miami, Oklahoma, only a handful of students come from hometowns in Oklahoma.

The highest numbers of students come from hometowns in Indiana and Kansas. These states represent the heaviest historic and current-day population areas of Miami Tribe households, due to the forced removals that moved segments of the Miami community from Indiana to Kansas and finally to Oklahoma. Each removal left the community fractured: some people moved, others remained behind.

Smaller numbers of students have come from Washington, California, Texas, Alaska, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Collectively, these students represent the diverse places where Miami Tribe families are currently located.

Miami Tribe students’ heritage language and culture are reinforced along with their other curricular studies.

The four-year graduation rate for students who have gone through the Myaamia Heritage Award Program is 77.1%. 

With these kinds of results, we proudly recognize our Myaamia student graduates.