Collecting Myaamiaki: An Exploration of Indigenous Space through Things
Keywords:
Indigenous material culture, Miami (Myaamia) people, cultural objects, historical archaeology, identity transformation, NAGPRAAbstract
His article analyzes the complex relationship between Native American cultural objects and their collectors, focusing specifically on the Miami (Myaamia) people. The author contends that understanding this relationship requires examining the historical context of interactions between Native peoples and non-Natives, as well as the symbolic meanings attributed to these objects. The paper explores how material culture can provide insight into the minds and behaviors of different cultures, particularly through the study of artifacts collected from the Miami. This work investigates the transformation of objects' identities over time and their evolving significance within both Native and dominant American cultures. The article argues that the collection of Native cultural objects is not merely about acquiring physical items but also about appropriating the essence of the people themselves. Key findings include the politicized nature of Native objects in contemporary society and the legal battles sparked by conflicting interpretations of their meanings.
(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)
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