d intricate tattooing on their skin. Men wore unornamented skins most of the time. Fringed, beaded, and quilled clothing were worn for festive occasions. Women usually were lightly tattooed on the cheeks or chin. White men could never duplicate the skill of preparing skins, making the Miamis skins much more desirable. As trading continued, the Miami women used brooches and glass beads to add prestige to their clothing. They developed techniques to get striking effects such as skillful applique and nickel-silver decoration (Murdoch, 21). But even the finest of these skins was discarded by Miamis whenever they could secure European cloth (Anson, 20).
Although they weren't credited with any "inventions", per se, another significant characteristic of the Miamis was their
cultivation of a soft white corn (Anson, 20). This white
corn was completely different from the flint corn of their
neighbors. The fact that it was not to be found among other
near-by tribes tends to support the hypothesis of earlier Miami
contact with Indians of the Southwest, where many varieties of
this grain had developed (Anson, 20). Corn was the staple
item in the Miamis diet. The soft white corn produced a superior soft flour. Its importance to the tribe partially explains why the Miamis finally left the St. Joseph River. They deserted the fishing and hunting of the Great Lakes and crossed hundreds of miles to settle in the fertile valleys of the Wabash and the three Miami rivers (Anson, 21). The fertile valley was
better suited to their lifestyle than were the plains of Illinois. Their reason to migrate had as much to do with their
agrarian culture as was the threat from other hostile tribes or
white settlers. Corn was a major staple, but they also
harvested melons, squash, pumpkins, and beans. They preferred
vegetables and grain foods to meat. In addition to soft white
corn, they contribu...