Wea Brave by George Catlin.
The Wea people were a sub-tribe of the Miami Indians. The name Wea is a shortened version of the many recorded names, such as Wawaagtenang, meaning “place of the round, or curved, channel,” or Waayaahtanonki, meaning “place of the whirlpool,” which indicates where the Europeans first encountered them.
In 1673, Jesuit relations first mentioned the Wea as living in eastern Wisconsin. However, they were later said to have occupied land in Indiana. They also had villages in Illinois and Ohio. In 1757, the Wea aligned themselves with the Piankashaw and attempted to establish friendly relations with the whites. Subsequently, various peace agreements were entered into with other tribes and the whites, which in 1854 led to a treaty that confederated the Wea with the Kaskaskia, Peoria, and Piankashaw tribes.
They were then moved to Kansas before being forced to move to Oklahoma again, becoming the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma. However, not all Wea people moved with the rest, remaining in Indiana. Today, the Wea Tribe of Indiana is state-recognized in Clinton, Indiana.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated September 2025.
Also See:
Native American Photo Galleries
Native Americans – First Owners of America
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