Wea
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The name 'Wea' is used today as the a shortened version of the many recorded names, it is suggested and written that waayaahtanwa, is derived from waayaahtanonki, 'place of the whirlpool', their name where they were first recorded being seen and is where they were living at that time. The different spellings of their name is numerous with the influx of the many different settler's ethnic and educational backgrounds. One French recording of the name is "Ouiatenon", another "Ouiateno", these were their villages and are now known as Lafayette and Terre Haute Indiana respectively. A marker was placed by the Indiana Historical Bureau in 2004 depicting the presence of the Wea Village in Terre Haute and the living descendants. The Wea spoke a dialect of the same language as the Miami Tribe.
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[edit] History
When the Wea had increased considerably in numbers at their village of Ouiatenon, near present day Lafayette, Indiana, one of them separated himself from the village and offered to move and take part of the people with him further down the river and start a new village, which Piankeshaw established near the mouth of the Vermillion River. This man who took the people to the new village had no holes or slits in his ears, as was customary at that day, and he was on that account called Piankeshaw ("the Torn-Ears People"). The Piankeshaw were the Deer Clan of the Weas.
The 1800s reflected only the Miami proper (Crane band), Wea, Eel River and Piankashaw remaining in Indiana. These tribes all signed treaties separately and were considered politically separate from each other.
The Wea had villages in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Their main homeland in the 1700’s was in Indiana, as well as a few villages in Illinois and Ohio. The three largest villages of the Wea were Fort Ouiatenon, west of what is now Lafayette, Indiana. There clustered together on the South side of the Wabash across from Fort Ouiatenon were 5 Villages. Four of those were the Wea, Piankeshaw, Pepicokia, and Gros all clans of the main body of Weas. Toward the west near Granville were the Kickapoo villages. The second largest village was where Terre Haute, Indiana is now, and the Wea had their third largest village in Vincennes that was called Chipicokia where they lived with their clan the Piankashaw.
With increased Euro-American settlement and Indian removals, many treaties were made, which in the 1854 lead to the Treaty that confederated the Weas who went west, the Kaskaskias, Peorias, and Piankeshaws into the Confederated Peoria Tribe of Kansas and later they became the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma.
There were many of the Wea Tribe that did not go west in the removals and instead remained in Indiana. They were referred to in treaties as the Wea on the Wabash, the Wabash Wea, and in history as the Wabash Confederacy or the Wabash Indians.
The descendants of this Tribe remained in Indiana after the removal period and did not removed west of the Mississippi. These descendants reside today in Indiana, the United States and abroad.
[edit] Former Village Sites
Listed are just a few villages that were located in Indiana and Illinois.
- Chicago Chicago, Ill
- Kenapacomaqua Logansport, IN.
- Ft. Ouiatenon Lafayette, IN. a marker is placed
- Sugar Creek Village/Reserve Sugar Creek, IN.
- Weauteno / Jacco's Towne Terre Haute, IN. (a marker is placed at Fairbanks Park)
- Upper Wea Village/Town 2 miles above Terre Haute, IN.
- Old Wea Town between Terre Haute and Vincennes IN.
- Wea Reserve Parke County, IN. (a marker is placed there today)
- Wea Village Danville, Ill.
- Kethtippecahnunk Lafayette, IN
[edit] Signed Treaties
Below are some of the many Treaties were made with the US and the Wea.
- Treaty of Greenville, Aug 3, 1795
- Fort Wayne Indiana Territory, June 7, 1803
- Vincennes, Indiana Territory, Aug 13, 1803
- Grouseland Indiana Territory, Aug 21, 1805
- Vincennes Indiana Territory, Dec 30, 1805
- Fort Wayne Indiana Territory, Sept 30, 1809
- Vincennes Indiana Territory, Oct 26, 1809
- Fort Harrison, Indiana Territory, June 4, 1816
- Vincennes Indiana Territory, Jan 3, 1818
- St Mary’s Ohio Oct 2, 1818
- Vincennes Indiana Aug 11, 1820
- St Joseph Michigan Sept 21,1826
- St Joseph Michigan Sept 24, 1828
- Caster Hill Missouri, Oct 29, 1832
- Washington DC May 30, 1854
- Washington DC Feb 23, 1867 (1)
Treaty of St. Marys 1820 in Article 3: “As it is contemplated by the said Tribe, to remove from the Wabash, it is agreed, that the annuity secured to the Weas, by the Treaty of Saint Mary's, above mentioned, shall hereafter be paid to them at Kaskaskia, in the state of Illinois. “
Treaty of Castor Hill 1832 in Article 4: “The United States will also afford some assistance to that part of the Wea tribe now residing in the State of Indiana”,
The above treaties are referring to the Wea that are still in Indiana. These Wea remained in Indiana and the descendants are still here today.
[edit] The Wea Indian Tribe Today
Ed Melton proved himself to be the last living blood chief of the tribe and started gathering the history for many years and in 1994 gathered relatives together for the first family reunion or what is now called gathering. There they shared history, notes, genealogy and pictures. It was on March 15, 1995 after being urged, that he formed and incorporated into a non profit Indian organization under, Wea Indian Tribe of Indiana, Inc. (sse Inc. paper) Ed passed away on September 11, 2001, but the Wea Indian Tribe of Indiana, Inc. continues and was reorganized in 2005 and is now headquartered in Clinton, Indiana.
A disagreement over electing an "acting" chief because of Mr. Melton's illness caused a group of relatives to splinter off in 2000. This group is the Wea Indian Tribe Incorporated located in Lafayette Indiana.
