Article written by guest contributor, Josh McCoy.  McCoy is a junior computer science student at Miami University.  His hometown is Alexandria, Virginia and at Miami University and is the president of the Native American Student Association, a Captain of a broomball team, and a member of the Esports club on campus.
 

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Over the past several years at Miami University, the Athletics department has developed a strong partnership with the Myaamia Center, another outcome of the almost 50-year relationship between the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University.  The partnership began with education within Miami athletics and grew as they began to use the Myaamia Heritage Logo (MHL), a design released in 2017 that visually represents the relationship between the Miami Tribe and Miami University.  As the partnership continued to develop, new ideas were developed for how Athletics could teach about the relationship between the Tribe and University.  In the spring of 2019, Miami held a Hockey series celebrating the relationship between the Tribe and the University in which Myaamia Tribal leadership along with community members and Myaamia students were recognized at the hockey games.  Myaamia students worked in collaboration with Athletics to plan all parts of the event.

During the fall of 2019, we were able to expand on that and held an entire week-long series across many sports in order to celebrate the relationship.  The "Celebrating Miami: Tribe and University" series, as it was called, was organized and planned by members of the Athletics department in partnership with Myaamia students and staff.  During the week-long series, Myaamia students, Myaamia community members, and Tribal leadership were included and recognized during all portions of the games including coin tosses, game ball deliveries, honorary coaches, and mid-game activities.  Several teams including volleyball, men and women's basketball, hockey and football each released alternate uniforms or helmets that featured the Myaamia Heritage Logo. Also in the fall of 2019, the Myaamia Heritage Logo was added to the basketball court, football field, up at the baseball field and placed on the end cap seats of the hockey arena.  Lastly, throughout the 2019-2020 hockey season the Official Miami Hockey pucks had the Myaamia Heritage Logo printed on them. 

The use of the Myaamia Heritage Logo and the 'Celebrating Miami' series has created new avenues for teaching about the relationship between the Tribe and University.  While it was important that Athletics help to spread the message, it was just as important that the players, coaches, and administration understand the relationship.  The Myaamia Center has worked with Miami Athletics to provide education to all of the coaches, staff, and any student-athletes who wear the MHL or who have it on their fields.  

Athletics is a big part of the college experience at Miami and to have a relationship in which Athletics wants to celebrate the Myaamia community is very special.  Personally, as a Myaamia student, Athletics has created a welcoming atmosphere for us,  which is very important, especially considering the history of Miami using a Native mascot.  Being able to come together as a Myaamia community at Miami University and celebrate the relationship during the two events we held in 2019 was truly special and it was amazing to see.  Speaking on behalf of the Myaamia students, we feel at home with Athletics on campus and that makes our experience of attending Miami even more meaningful. The Myaamia Center and the Miami University Athletics department have had a strong partnership that is reflective of the relationship between the Miami Tribe and Miami University.  We can't wait to see how far it will go!