Daryl Baldwin counts himself among just a handful of people who can introduce themselves in the Myaamia language.
“aya! kinwalaniihsia weenswiaani niila myaamia.”
That means, “Greetings! My name is Daryl, and I am from the Miami Tribe.”
After graduating from the University of Montana in 1999, Baldwin has almost single-handedly revived his native Myaamia language.
The last native Myaamia speakers died out in the mid 20th century, so when Baldwin, who was raised in Ohio, visited Indiana and Oklahoma to search out speakers of the language, none could be found.
With only some written documents and a few French-made dictionaries for reference, Baldwin and his wife Karen began to practice the language at home. Karen eventually stopped working to homeschool her kids and teach them the Myaamia language.
“I can carry on basic conversation, especially with my kids,” Baldwin said. He estimates that since he began his work revitalizing the language, the number of people knowing at least a word or two of the language has gone from zero to almost 500.
Baldwin was recently awarded the MacArthur “Genius Grant,” which, according to the MacArthur Foundation website, is a no-strings-attached award of $650,000, disbursed in a five-year period. Grant recipients must show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future. Baldwin has no idea who nominated him to receive the award or how long he was on the list for it.
“They literally contacted me three weeks before the public announcement, and I was only allowed to tell one person,” Baldwin said.
He initially thought the phone call from an unidentified number in Chicago was a hoax, and even after they explained it thoroughly, it didn’t quite feel real.
Baldwin graduated from UM with a master’s degree in linguistics. It was in his late 20s that Baldwin became interested in learning about his heritage as a citizen of the Miami Tribe, which includes parts of nowadays Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio.
During trips to Indiana and Oklahoma, he crossed paths with David Costa, a graduate student from the University of California Berkeley who, like Baldwin, had a keen interest in the Miami Tribe and its language. The two ended up working together, along with Julie Olds, the cultural resources officer for the Miami Tribe.
In 2001, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, created the Myaamia Project to devote space and time to language and cultural research and educational development for the tribal community. This transitioned into the Myaamia Center in 2013, directed by Baldwin.
To students looking for the type of success Baldwin has enjoyed, he suggests letting passions be the leading force in life.
“I have always been driven by my passion, and I know that doesn’t always work out, but sometimes it does,” Baldwin said.
His passion for nearly the last 20 years has been helping young Myaamia kids connect to their culture.
Baldwin is currently working on developing an assessment program at the Myaamia Center in order to better measure how the language is impacting students in the program. He has already seen a positive correlation between the language restoration and a renewed invigoration in the tribe, but he is striving to accurately display that correlation.
Baldwin is still unsure what the money from the grant will be used for. Because it is such a large sum and there are a lot of people tied to the work, he wants to make sure to consult everyone involved before making any decisions.
Baldwin said he believes his quality of education and overall experience in Montana really shaped his work with the Miami tribe.
“Because I wasn’t from [Montana] — because I was a stranger — I got a chance to interact with a few of the tribes. I think it really contextualized for me the reservation experience,” Baldwin said.
