Reclaiming Stories

Welcome to the Reclaiming Stories Project.

Reclaiming Stories is an interdisciplinary team of tribal cultural experts, artists, and academics who are dedicated to researching early Miami and Peoria culture. Our collaborative initiative is a tribal community-focused research venture that is centered on producing knowledge for both academic and community audiences on seventeenth century Illinois hide robes and (hi)stories. The collaborative aims to build on and extend an extraordinary process of cultural restoration among these Indigenous communities over the past generation with a specific focus on art history and practice. Since its origin in 2020, the Reclaiming Stories project has created an interdisciplinary conversation around the traditional practices of hide paintings (or minohsaya) in the history of the Peoria and Miami communities. The collaborative now aims to make a space and an occasion for an extensive reclaiming and revitalization of the meanings and techniques of hide painting and related art practices for communities today. This work will build on ongoing community achievements in language revitalization, ecological reawakening, and historical scholarship, as well as enduring artistic practices such as ribbonwork. Building knowledge across communities, across disciplines, and through methods of reciprocity and redistribution, the project aims to return old knowledge to the Miami and Peoria communities and allow us to create new practices. 

The Reclaiming Stories project is funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through the Humanities Without Walls Consortium. In 2021, the collaborative team won a grant for an ambitious long-term (2022-2025) project. This project, “(Re)connecting Indigenous Painted Hides to Communities through Collaborative Conversations,” focuses on several collections of hide art (minohsaya) and related art works, most importantly a collection held by the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac in Paris. Guided by Indigenous Myaamia and Peewaalia methodologies, ethics of collaborative research, and a spirit of reciprocity and redistribution, the first phase of this project creates a significant opportunity for members of the Peewaalia and Myaamia communities—artists, community leaders, scholars and students—to reconnect with these objects and reclaim their meanings through a research trip. Seizing the opportunity created by a new interpretive initiative within the Musée du quai Branly, the project will result in a major exhibition for tribal and larger audiences on Miami and Peoria homelands, first at the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum (RCCAM) at Miami University and subsequently in Miami, OK.  

The third annual Reclaiming Stories Learning Lab brought together a team of scholars, artists, and tribal members to continue the work of revitalizing and reclaiming traditional practices of hide painting and tattooing in Miami and Peoria cultures. This year’s focus was on the aesthetics and meanings of tattooing practices, with a series of workshops and discussions aimed at deepening understanding and fostering collaboration—“learning from each other.” As always, the workshop included hands on practice, including a tattooing demonstration and “lab” by Nathalie Standingcloud.

Purpose and Background

The Reclaiming Stories project, initiated in 2020, is a collaborative effort involving tribal cultural experts, artists, and academics dedicated to researching and revitalizing early Miami and Peoria cultural practices. The project emphasizes the creation of hide paintings, or minohsayaki, and the exploration of traditional tattooing practices. The Learning Lab serves as an annual gathering to share knowledge, practice traditional arts, and plan future initiatives.

This Year’s Learning Lab

As in past worskshops (here and here), we were extremely lucky to be able to learn from yet another group of amazing teachers. Jerrid Miller and Nathalie Standingcloud led sessions on Indigenous tattooing, exploring both the practical aspects and the cultural significance of tattooing in traditional contexts. Liz Ellis presented on Mississippi Valley aesthetics, providing historical and cultural context for understanding Myaamia and Peewaalia tattooing practices. Bob Morrissey and George Ironstrack shared insights on the language of tattooing, connecting linguistic information with cultural practices.

The Learning Lab also included discussions about plans for future travel to Paris, where participants will engage with the musée du quai Branly and its collections. Finally, this year’s Learning Lab provided the occasion to introduce new team members. Documentary filmmakers Ryan Griffis and Anthony Obayomi joined the project to help us consider new possibilities for media storytelling. Discussions focused on potential collaborations to document and share the stories of the Reclaiming Stories project. As always, the Learning Lab emphasized the importance of community and collaboration.

Itinerary

• Thursday, August 1, 2024:
  • Morning session on Indigenous tattooing with Jerrid Miller and Nathalie Standingcloud.
  • Afternoon discussions on Mississippi Valley aesthetics, the language of tattooing, and connections between tattoos and minohsayaki.
• Friday, August 2, 2024:
  • Morning session on tattooing part II with Jerrid Miller and Nathalie Standingcloud.
  • Afternoon discussions on the Reclaiming Stories project, including planning for Paris travel and documentary film possibilities.
  • Evening group dinner and conclusion of the Learning Lab.

Attendees

Participants included Madison Bastress, Chris Bowyer, Meghan Dorey, Charla EchoHawk, Liz Ellis, Wess Farless, Ryan Griffis, George Ironstrack, Krystiana Krupa, Jerrid Miller, Bob Morrissey, Anthony Obayomi, Julie Olds, Doug Peconge, Nate Poyfair, Madalyn Richardson, Scott Shoemaker, Nathalie Standingcloud, Eric Toups, and Jacey Vangel.

Conclusion

The Reclaiming Stories Learning Lab Summer ’24 was a resounding success, fostering deeper understanding and collaboration among participants. The focus on tattooing practices enriched the ongoing project, while discussions on future travel and media storytelling opened new avenues for sharing and preserving cultural heritage. We remain excited for the next step in our work to revitalize these important components of Miami and Peoria cultural practices.