The Wea, known in their own language as Waayaathtanwa, were an Algonquian-speaking people closely related to the Miami, Piankashaw, Peoria, and Kaskaskia. Their earlier homeland was in the Great Lakes region, and by the eighteenth century they were concentrated along the Wabash River in present-day Indiana.
During the nineteenth century, the Wea were removed westward, first to Kansas and later to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma). In Kansas, the Wea became closely associated with the Kaskaskia, Peoria, and Piankashaw. These four communities were formally united as the Confederated Peoria in 1854. Following the Civil War, the Confederated Peoria peoples moved to Indian Territory, where their descendants remain connected with the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1700s | Wea communities were concentrated along the Wabash River in present-day Indiana. Ouiatenon became an important Wea community and trading center. |
| 1795 | The Wea were among the Native nations involved in the Treaty of Greenville following the American Revolution. |
| 1818-1820 | A series of treaties resulted in the cession of the Wea's remaining lands east of the Mississippi River. |
| 1832 | The United States established a reservation in what became eastern Kansas for the Wea and Piankashaw. The Kaskaskia and Peoria received adjoining lands. |
| 1854 | The Kaskaskia, Peoria, Piankashaw, and Wea were formally united as the Confederated Peoria. |
| 1867 | The Confederated Peoria, including the Wea, moved from Kansas to lands in Indian Territory under the Treaty of February 23, 1867. |
| 1867-1871 | Wea and other Confederated Peoria people were associated with the Neosho Agency in Indian Territory. |
| 1871 onward | The Quapaw Agency became an important federal agency for the Wea and other northeastern Oklahoma tribes. The agency was later known as the Miami Agency. |
| Today | The Wea are represented within the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, headquartered in Miami, Oklahoma. |
In 1832, the United States negotiated a treaty with the Piankashaw and Wea providing them a reservation in what became eastern Kansas. The Kaskaskia and Peoria held adjoining lands. The four related communities increasingly lived and worked together in Kansas. Their close relationships, common experiences, and shared interests eventually led to their formal political union as the Confederated Peoria under the treaty of May 30, 1854. For researchers, Kansas records can be an important part of a Wea family's history even when later records identify the family as Peoria or as part of the Confederated Peoria.
Following the Civil War, the Confederated Peoria peoples moved from Kansas to Indian Territory. The Treaty of February 23, 1867, provided for the removal of the Confederated Peorias, Kaskaskias, Weas, and Piankashaws to lands in northeastern Indian Territory. This places Wea families in the history of present-day northeastern Oklahoma, particularly the area around Ottawa County and Miami.
Federal Indian agency records are particularly important for Wea genealogy. The agency responsible for a family changed over time, so researchers should search under several agency names.
Agency records may contain information concerning censuses, correspondence, land, allotments, annuities, schools, and individual families. The records may identify a person as Wea, Peoria, Piankashaw, Kaskaskia, or as a member of the Confederated Peoria.
Researchers looking for a Wea ancestor should not limit searches to the word "Wea". Historical records may use different tribal or administrative identifications depending upon the date and the record keeper. Search carefully, using different combinations of terms, and dont' give up!
When researching a family, follow the ancestor through time rather than searching only for a modern tribal affiliation. A person who appears as Wea in an earlier record may later appear in records associated with the Confederated Peoria or the Peoria Tribe.
The history of the Wea did not end with removal from their earlier homelands. For descendants researching a Wea ancestor, Kansas and Indian Territory records are important parts of the same family history. Searching across the Wea, Piankashaw, Kaskaskia, Peoria, and Confederated Peoria records,and following the changing federal agency names, can help connect generations that may otherwise appear in separate collections.
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