North American Indian people who live mostly in Oklahoma and Indiana, U.S. They call themselves Twitwee (Twatwa), which to them represents the call of the crane. The name Miami is a derivation of their Ojibwa name, Oumami, meaning “people of the peninsula.” Their traditional homeland is spread across Illinois, northern Indiana, and Ohio. The Miami language belongs to the Algonquian family.
The staple of the Miami diet was corn (maize), though they also hunted bison. Each village consisted of mat-covered dwellings and a large house in which councils and ceremonies were held. A secret medicine society conducted rites aimed at ensuring tribal welfare. In the 19th century the Miami ceded most of their lands to the U.S., with most of the tribe removing to a reservation in Oklahoma. Population estimates indicated approximately 6,500 Miami descendants in the early 21st century. &Seealso; Little Turtle.
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