Eric Johnson has a small birthmark in the shape of a turtle on his left leg. A birthmark that would never be anything but a cluster of freckles for many. Johnson isn't just anybody and for him, this isn't any birthmark. At 23, Johnson is a nontraditional first-year student who had planned to live his life skiing in Colorado. But that all changed when he discovered the significance of the turtle and it's connection to the Miami tribe.
Johnson is a member of the Native American Miami tribe, to which Miami University owes its name.
A few years ago, Johnson began to learn more about Chief Little Turtle, one of the most influential chiefs of the Miami tribe. Johnson said Chief Little Turtle was a great war chief who gave up fighting to become an advocate for peace. He also discovered the turtle is one of the symbols the Miami tribe uses on its shield and that North America was called "Turtle Island" by the tribe.
The symbol of the turtle has come to be more than just a birthmark or a legendary chief to Johnson.
"I heard an anecdote about a 'turtle problem,' which means a problem that has no real solution," he said.
This story propelled Johnson to develop a business model for the company he plans to launch to look for logical ways to help make the world a better place. Johnson came to Miami because of his desire to start this company and gain the knowledge necessary to potentially solve some of these "turtle problems."
Johnson said he was hesitant to share more concrete plans of the project because he is still in the planning stage.
"I had been in Tahoe with a friend trying to launch it, but I didn't feel right," he said. "I thought that if I could possibly launch it from Miami, it would feel right, and it does."
A reluctant undergrad
Growing up in Oklahoma, Johnson never really identified with his Miami heritage.
"I grew up on a Cherokee reservation, but I'm a direct descendent of Emma Gordon, who was one of the last pureblood Miami," he said.
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Johnson's uncle, Chris Powell said Johnson was a free spirit after high school.
"He didn't choose the normal course," Powell said. "He just wanted to pursue skiing."
But after developing the idea for his project, Powell said he saw a change in Johnson.
"He gained a maturity in that he knew he needed to take those ideas to the next level ... he needed to get an education," Powell said.
John Motsinger was Johnson's English 111 professor and talked with Johnson a few times after class about his journey and his future goals. Motsinger said Johnson came to Miami to find himself.
"Most people's minds are somewhat shaped and molded by society," Motsinger said. "The great thing about Eric is that he's been able to resist the bad conforming to society and the beating down of the individual and creativity ... that's what gives him his unique sparkle, his manner of speaking, his ease. He's very forthright, very interesting and a very dynamic person."
Johnson is not the typical college first-year. Not only is he older than some college graduates, but he also is a part of a very small group on campus- Miami tribe members.
According to Bobbe Burke, coordinator of Miami University and Miami tribe relations, Miami has 16 student tribe members. Burke also said Miami offers up to 20 tuition waivers each year for tribe students. As a condition of the tuition waiver, tribe students must enroll in a special class each semester that meets weekly to discuss current events with the tribe as well as history, culture and language in conjunction with the Myaamia Project.
A different look at My Miami
The Myaamia Project began in 2001 as a tribal initiative located within Miami's academic environment to help advance the Miami tribe of Oklahoma's language and cultural revitalization efforts. Myaamia means "Miami" in Miami tribal language and is used to refer to the tribe at large.
Even though the mission statement specifies Oklahoma as the tribe's location, Burke said the Miami do not have a
reservation like some of the other 39 other tribes recognized as being located in Oklahoma. Miami tribe headquarters are in Miami, Okla., a small town in northeast Oklahoma named for the tribe, but the tribe itself is spread out all over the country, Burke said.
After moving from the Oxford area and the surrounding area in 1846, the tribe relocated to Kansas Territory and then later moved to Oklahoma. Once in Oklahoma, Burke said the tribe received individual allotments of land from the government in an effort to divide tribes up into smaller portions. The Miami tribe went with this model, dividing its people into smaller portions and spreading out across the country.
Burke said the Myaamia Project aims to bring Miami tribe members together to learn about their culture, revitalize their language and produce educational materials for the university. The Myaamia Project also serves as a recruitment tool to bring future generations of the Miami tribe to Oxford. Relations between the tribe and the university started in the 1970s, Burke said, and it's been ongoing since that point.
Johnson said he sees the benefits of the Myaamia project for himself personally and for the tribal community as a whole.
"I think they do tons of great work," Johnson said. "The language revitalization is really impressive. Because of Daryl Baldwin (director of the Myaamia project) I have learned more about the tribe and their beliefs."
That belief system is one of the aspects of tribal life that Johnson most readily identifies with.
"I really identified with the 'zen' aspect of their beliefs," Johnson said. "I have picked up on the language, and it has been cool getting to know people."
One of those new friends is junior Brent Mowery- a tribe member who met Johnson through the required weekly class and a trip both students took to an Oklahoma reservation at the end of January.
"(Johnson) is a really chill guy, completely real about everything," Mowery said.
Mowery also has a sense of respect for Johnson not being a traditional first-year, straight from high school.
"I honestly think it would be hard to do probably just
because there's a lot of games that go on here," he said.
"Being who he is, he is above that because he is not an 18-year-old fresh out of high school."
Powell said he also has a respect for what Johnson is doing.
"I think it took a lot of guts to pack up everything and drive somewhere you've never been, where you don't know anyone," he said. "It took a lot of guts on his part ... He took his interest in his tribe and heritage a step further (after coming to Miami) with getting involved with the Myaamia project on campus."
While at Miami, Johnson said he hopes to gain a valuable education that results not only in a degree but also in a deeper understanding of his heritage and culture.
Johnson said he is currently considering pursuing a degree in an English-related field and eventually writing a book.
Motsinger said Johnson is an engaging storyteller.
"I want to share my story and show people that there is a little more to life than meets the eye," Johnson said.
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