Miami University will hold a Day of Reflection on Oct. 11 to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Miami Tribe’s removal from their homelands, which include what is today Oxford, Ohio. All are invited to attend and participate in the solemn program, which begins with a talk at 10 a.m. in the Art Museum Sculpture Park, includes a walk of reflection through campus, and concludes with closing remarks at Bonham House at about 10:45 a.m. 

The Day of Reflection seeks to acknowledge and remember the history of the Myaamia people and the hardships their ancestors endured. In October 1846, the Miami Tribe was forcibly removed from their homelands. On Oct. 11, the Tribe passed through Butler County on the Miami and Erie Canal, along the Great Miami River, as they were taken to a new reservation in what would later become Kansas.

• The program will begin with a talk from Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Douglas Lankford on the lawn of the Art Museum at the “A Tribe Named Miami, A Surveyors Stake, a Town Named Oxford” sculpture. His talk will focus on the effects of the removal, and the hurt and loss it caused. 
• The event will continue with a walk through Miami’s Arts Quad, past the university’s sundial, to Bonham House, home to the Myaamia Center, the research arm for the Tribe. Pieces of colored fabric will be tied to trees along the walking route to commemorate each of the 330 Tribe members who were removed.
• On the Bonham House lawn, Daryl Baldwin, executive director of the Myaamia Center, will discuss the Tribe’s revitalization and healing, while looking to the future. Afterward, Miami President Gregory Crawford will speak to reaffirm the university’s commitment to its partnership with the Tribe, the wellbeing of its people, and their quest to heal from — and reclaim — their history. 

The Art Museum parking lot will be reserved for special guests and those who need assistance on the morning of the event. If you work on campus, we encourage you to park in your normal parking location and either walk to the Art Museum or ride the BCRTA Western Campus/North Loop bus (U4).

For off-campus guests, free parking will be available at the Boyd Hall parking lot (551 Western College Drive, Oxford, OH 45056). A shuttle will be provided to the Art Museum. The last shuttle will depart the parking lot at 9:50 a.m.

The event will take place rain or shine. If severe weather causes the event to be postponed, the university community will be notified.

Mark your calendar: A Day of Reflection