A descendant of Takumwah and Chief Richardville (Pinšiwa), Dani Tippmann is a Myaamia citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. She keeps the knowledge associated with Myaamia culture, including traditional crafts, foodways, and plant usage. These traditions connect her to the Myaamionki or “Miami homeland.” Dani learned traditional and medicinal uses of plants from her mother and tribal elders as she worked to preserve her community’s knowledge. In her words, “Plants are important to our people. We use them. We have been a part of their lives as long as anyone can remember.”
Having dedicated her life to this traditional artform, Dani was honored as an Artist-in-Residence at the Eiteljorg Museum of Native and Western Art. In addition, she worked with the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana State Parks to share information and cultural beauty with park visitors. In 2019, she participated in the Traditional Arts Indiana Apprenticeship Program, training her daughter Mary Regina Harter in Myaamia plant lore.
From harvesting native rice to making elm-bark baskets, Dani gathers the traditions of her people and serves as an important knowledge bearer for the next generation. She tirelessly works to ensure the continuation of Myaamia traditions. Dani Tippmann received a 2021 Indiana Heritage Fellowship in recognition of her work revitalizing the traditions of her Myaamionki.