The Miami Indian statue of Montpelier

The Miami Indian is a work of public art located in Montpelier, Indiana. The sculpture, which stands 25 feet tall and is made of painted fiberglass, depicts a Plains Indian man wearing a blue and white war bonnet, white pants with brown fringe, and white shoes. It is well known for its appearance in the introductory montage of the television program Parks and Recreation.

The piece has a long history of movement across the United States. It was first installed at a Pontiac dealer in Indianapolis during the 1960s, where it was intended to represent Chief Pontiac. During the 1970s, it was moved to a museum in Bismarck, North Dakota, before returning to Indiana to sit outside a Native American museum. It was eventually given to Chief Larry Godfroy of the Miami people.

In January 1984, the statue was dedicated in downtown Montpelier, a location near ancestral lands of the Miami. It was donated to the city by Chief Godfroy in 1985. A granite plaque in front of the statue notes the date of the gift and the name of the donor. Today, the statue remains a local landmark, accompanied by an Indiana historical marker that references the history of the Miami people in the region.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons