Myaamia students reflect on internship experience that included sharing their culture at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Mia Hankenson ’25: ‘The energy, the people, and the cultural richness created an atmosphere unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of’
Myaamia students reflect on internship experience that included sharing their culture at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
For Mia Hankenson, participating in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the nation’s capital was an unforgettable experience that exceeded her expectations.
“The energy, the people, and the cultural richness created an atmosphere unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of,” said Hankenson, who graduated from Miami University in May and is focused on applying to accelerated nursing programs.
Hankenson is one of seven Miami students or recent graduates — all Myaamia citizens — who participated in the Folklife Festival in early July along with leaders from the Myaamia Center and Miami Tribe of Oklahoma.
The Myaamia Center, the Miami Tribe’s research and educational development arm based on Miami's Oxford campus, was invited to take part in this year’s festival, which honors contemporary living cultural traditions and celebrates those who practice and sustain them. Only four tribal nations were invited to participate.
The students shared their knowledge in four cultural areas: lacrosse, the myaamia language, ribbonwork, and gardening.
Hankenson, who majored in Kinesiology, loved connecting with other participating Native groups, including representatives from the Hawaiian, Alutiiq Alaskan, and Mohawk communities.
“Getting to know them on a personal level was incredible in itself, but what made it truly special was hearing their stories about cultural and language reclamation,” she said. “It was powerful to learn about the different paths we’ve all taken to reconnect with our traditions and also to recognize the similarities in our challenges and triumphs.”
Pimyotamah Hartleroad, who is entering their senior year as an Anthropology major with Spanish and Linguistics minors, enjoyed learning from so many artists and educators about their particular passions and histories.
“I thoroughly enjoyed spending time amongst the other groups in language revitalization because we share so much of the same passions,” Hartleroad said.
Hartleroad also enjoyed the unique experience of playing lacrosse on the grassy National Mall and teaching it to others.
“Showing the public how to play peekitahaminki 'myaamia lacrosse' showed me how unifying sports are for people. My favorite moment was when all of the language revitalization groups came together to play one big game on the field,” Hartleroad said.
Learning about Myaamia leadership
Participation in the festival was part of an eight-week internship experience for the seven students.
“As myaamiaki ‘Miami people,’ we are family and we look out for each other. We look to each other for guidance,” Hartleroad said. “I have made many new friends during this internship that I hope to stay in contact with and look forward to seeing again.”
Hankenson said she also appreciated the opportunity to strengthen relationships.
“Sharing this experience brought us closer, not just as friends, but as fellow Myaamia people,” she said. “We supported each other through challenges, celebrated successes together, and had meaningful conversations that strengthened our bond and sense of shared identity.”
It also gave Hankenson a much richer understanding of her own Myaamia identity.
“The experiences, conversations, and new perspectives I encountered throughout the summer pushed me to reflect on who I am and how I fit into our larger story,” she said. “I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity. It was transformative in ways that I’m still processing, and it’s something I’ll carry with me for a long time.”
Hankenson said she also gained a deeper understanding of what leadership looks like within the Myaamia community.
“Throughout the summer, especially during our time at the Folklife Festival, we were given the opportunity to step into leadership roles. What stood out to me was how leadership in our community differs from more mainstream or Western definitions,” she said.
“Myaamia leadership tends to be more community-centered, humble, and relationship-driven, something I’ve seen over the years but hadn’t fully understood until we explored it more intentionally during this experience.”
Learning about this leadership dynamic “really connected the dots for me and helped me reframe how I think about influence and responsibility within my community,” she added.
Hartleroad is looking forward to this academic year, with many courses centered around language and culture.
“I hope to take this time to work with people at the Myaamia Center to further understand what it means to be a language teacher and help in the efforts of language revitalization.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg. Interested in learning more about the Myaamia Center? Visit the website for more information.
