Descendants of the Miami Nation Return

Descendants of the Miami Nation return to Ellicott City in response to the tremendous interest generated by their visit in March.  Diane Hunter, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and a citizen of the Tribe will again discuss their renown leader Mihšihkinaahkwa’s (Chief Little Turtle’s) relationship with the Ellicotts and the tribe’s connection to the town and local Quaker group. Ms. Hunter’s work as THPO involves preserving and protecting historic sites and resources, providing education about the presence and history of the Miami Tribe, and serving more than 800 Tribal citizens in Indiana. She has given numerous presentations on the history of Miami people and the Miami Tribe today to groups of all ages and education levels. Diane has a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and Master’s degrees from Ball State University and Georgetown University. She has worked for the Miami Tribe since 2015, when the Tribe opened a Cultural Resources Extension Office in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Mihšihkinaahkwa (c1752-1812) and other chiefs visited Ellicott mills in 1807 after meetings in Washington City and Baltimore. Ellicott and Gerard Hopkins, the uncle of Johns Hopkins, had been part of a Quaker delegation that visited the chief near Fort Wayne, in 1804. Hopkins and George Ellicott’s daughter Martha (Ellicott) Tyson wrote about these visits in the book “A mission to the Indians, from the Indian committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, to Fort Wayne, in 18O4” .  Martha’s account of the indigenous leaders visit to Ellicott Mills begins on page 185.

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