Names and identities

Myaamia, Anglo-American, and other cultures have traditionally created and allowed for individuals to hold multiple identities and names.

The collaborators creating and managing the Aacimwahkionkonci archive recognize that people today and in the past can hold multiple names and identities. Among Myaamia people, this may include given Myaamia and Euro-American names, nicknames, and multiple names in each category that may change over time. Gender fluidity, and sometimes political and racial fluidity, was also possible in the cultures of the individuals recorded in this archive.

Despite the fact that people live with multiple recognized identities, we have attempted to build this archive so that a person has a singular identification in the archive, while acknowledging their multiple names. We have used information including birth and death dates, the gender of names used on documents, and genealogical data to make these identifications. Further, we have attempted to create authoritative spellings with included alternatives to aid in searching. If a Myaamia (or other) individual was given a name to take the place of another individual, for example, we have kept those persons distinct for database purposes

Users should also note that we have not provided literal or more oblique cultural translations for Myaamia names. Thus, the “meaning” of Myaamia names are left open.

If you have information or questions about gender, naming, or various spellings or alternative names that you think apply to an individual in our archive, please let us know.