From the Munster Times:
Tribal groups call Indiana home
VALPARAISO | Most Hoosiers don’t realize that nearly 42,000 of the state’s residents are American Indians, said Brian Buchanan, chairman of the Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission.
The commission, which was appointed in 2006 by Gov. Mitch Daniels, held a town hall-style meeting Saturday at the First Christian Church in Valparaiso, one of many scheduled statewide this year. The group hopes to raise awareness of American Indians in Indiana and their social needs — such as health, employment, education, civil rights and housing. It will make its first report to the governor next week.
“We have different needs than what society has provided in the past,” said Buchanan, who is chief of Indiana’s Miami Nation tribe.
A primary goal is simply to make the presence of American Indians known.
“People don’t know we exist,” said Buchanan, a Wabash resident. “There are gaps of educational knowledge about Native Americans.”
He said approximately 3,000 American Indians reside in Northwest Indiana and about 6,000 in the state belong to one of three tribes: the Miami Nation, the Wea and the Upper Kispoko Band of the Shawnee Nation. Some members of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, which is based in Michigan, also live in northern Indiana.
To belong to the Miami tribe, Buchanan said a person has to prove an ancestral connection, preferably through the mother’s side of the family.
“Our criteria are very precise,” he said.
Besides studying social and health problems, like the high incidence of diabetes and substance abuse among American Indians, the commission hopes to dispel stereotypes and correct misconceptions.
“I get awfully tired of being called ‘chief’ at my place of employment just because I’m an Indian,” Buchanan said.
Linda Madagame, the commission’s secretary, said educating about American Indians is important.
“We are small, but mighty,” said Madagame, who also is the executive director of the American Indian Center of Indiana in Indianapolis. “We want to keep the culture alive and respected.”
Turtle Talk 
This is great information, so many people don’t realize that there are many Native Americans living right next to them. Thank you for posting this. We need to let people know that the indigenous peoples of North American are still very much alive, active, and involved.
We agree with your view on the awareness of Native Americans and the preservation of their culture. It is our mission to go to the public and private schools to educate the children and try to fill in the mystery of who we are and where we have come from. We have a multi-dimensional community and are working to bridge the gaps. It made sense to begin with the Native Americans some of us are forgotten descendants. We would like to have someone from the Miami, Wea or Potawatomi Tribes look over our materials and give any recommendations they may have. It would be wonderful if we could work together sharing the Discovery On The Go curriculum through out the state.
This is in response to the posted article. My name is Peshewa Pope, of the Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band, and I think that the efforts in Indiana are great. Awareness in my home state of Ohio is poor at best. Efforts to reach out and reclaim the people of the Shawnee nation here have been excepted to a moderate degree and any contact with the Upper Kispoko band would be greatly appreciated. Megwich