The Miami Tribe's Natural Resource Toolkit: Food, Fiber, and Medicine

The Miami (Myaamia) people, historically centered in the Great Lakes region, sustainably utilized a broad spectrum of resources:

Food

• Hunting: Deer, elk, bear, turkey, rabbit, waterfowl.
• Fishing: Bass, catfish, trout via spears, nets, traps, weirs.
• Gathering: Hickory nuts, acorns, berries, plums, persimmons, maple sap (sugar).

Building & Technology

• Wood: Oak, hickory, maple, ash for longhouses, canoes, tools, bows.
• Bark: Elm, basswood for roofing, containers, cordage.
• Clay: Pottery, storage jars, pipes.
• Stone & Flint: Arrowheads, axes, knives, scrapers, fire-starting.

Clothing & Adornment

• Hides: Deer, elk, bear for robes, leggings, moccasins.
• Feathers: Ceremonial regalia, headdresses.

Medicine & Fire

• Herbal Pharmacopeia: Roots, barks, leaves for teas, poultices, inhalants.
• Fire: Cooking, warmth, light, land management (controlled burns), spiritual use.

This holistic resource use reflected deep ecological knowledge and seasonal mobility.