The Confederated Tribes of the Kaskaskia, Peoria, Wea, and Piankashaw were related Algonquian-speaking Native American tribes that united in 1854 in Kansas to form the Confederated Peoria. After moving to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) in 1867, they became the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe. The Kaskaskia, Peoria, Piankashaw, and Wea tribes shared a common cultural heritage, with their ancestors originating near the Great Lakes and along the Mississippi River.

Peoria ancestors traditionally lived in what are now the state jurisdictions of Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri.

In an 1818 treaty, the Peoria ceded their land in Illinois and joined with the Kaskaskia, Michigamia, Cahokia, and Tamaroi nations to build power and strength through kinship and numbers. Had the Peoria not united with these nations, along with the three other nations that currently reside on their reservation with them, they might not exist today.

The Kaskaskia River and the early town of Old Kaskaskia, with its fort, all derive their names from the Kaskaskia tribe. Other landmarks and areas near Southern Illinois include Fort de Chartres, a major French fortification and trading post for the Peoria and Kaskaskia in the 1700s, as well as the nearby town of St. Genevieve, Missouri, which was home to many displaced Kaskaskia, Peoria, and Wea.

After the Peoria Nation left Illinois, they settled in Missouri on 640 acres of land, where they already had a village. The treaty clearly stated that “the tract is not included with a private claim.” The U.S. government really wanted white settlers on the land who were willing to pay.

With the rapid expansion of the United States in the mid-19th century, the Peoria, along with the Kaskaskia, Michigamia, Cahokia, and Tamaroi, signed a 1832 treaty ceding their land in Missouri for a reservation in Kansas totaling 96,000 acres or 150 sections of land. During their time in Kansas, the Peoria, the Kaskaskia, the Wea, and the Piankashaw nations formed a relationship under “increased pressure from white settlers.” Through this close relationship, kinship ties were created, and the groups signed a treaty on May 30, 1854, establishing the Confederated Peoria.

The Hoosier National Forest in Indiana is the ancestral home of the Wea and Piankashaw tribes, which still holds many sites of cultural significance.

In 1867, they were relocated to a reservation in present-day Ottawa County, in northeastern Oklahoma.

The U.S. government terminated the tribe in 1956, but through advocacy and legal efforts, federal recognition was restored in 1978.

The descendants of these tribes are now members of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, which is headquartered in Miami, Oklahoma. The tribe has an enrollment of approximately 3,700 members. They are a strong nation that works to empower tribal members by revitalizing their languages and shared cultures.