Miami Legend of the Sandhill Crane

Miami Legend of the Sandhill Crane. . Long before settlers appeared on the scene, the American Indian people here used the sandhill crane as a symbol for their tribe. Early British and American officials referred to the people we know as Miami as “Twightwees” in various spellings such as the English “Twaatwaa”, “Tweeghtwees” or “Twicktwigs.” A legend about how the name became associated with Miamis extends deep into the early history of its people. It is said that the early Miamis were making war with the Cherokee, when on one occasion the Cherokee decided to counterattack. Carefully planning their tactics, the Cherokee tracked the Miamis to an open prairie where they observed two sandhill cranes. Driving the cranes ahead toward the Miami, the large birds called out “twau, twau, twau,” and took to the air in a great rush. At this, the Miami turned their attack on the ambushing enemy. A survivor of the Cherokee war party made it back to his village and reported that his companinons had been defeated by the “Twau Twaus” who could fly and were impossible to defeat. From that time, the Miamis who took their name from the Twau Twau or Twightwees held the sandhill crane as a special totem at the confluence of the rivers. Americans eventually adopted the spelling from the French, but changed the pronunciation to “Miami” whose tribal symbol is tshe tsha kwan, or sandhill crane