Peoria (tribe)

Peoria (tribe). The Peoria are a Native American people, originally part of the Illinois Confederation of the Great Lakes region. Today, they are a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Miami, Oklahoma, as part of the consolidated Peoria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma. Their historical territory spanned parts of present-day Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin along the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

History

The Peoria, along with the Kaskaskia, Wea, and Piankashaw, were prominent members of the Illinois Confederation, encountering French explorers like Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in the 17th century. Early conflicts included the Beaver Wars with the Iroquois Confederacy and later wars with the Fox and Sioux nations. Following the French and Indian War, the region came under British and later American influence. Key treaties ceding land included the 1795 Treaty of Greenville and the 1818 Treaty of Edwardsville. Under pressure from American expansion, the tribe relocated west of the Mississippi River to Kansas following the 1832 Treaty of Castor Hill. In 1854, the Kaskaskia, Peoria, Wea, and Piankashaw united under a single constitution in Kansas, forming a consolidated government. After the American Civil War, the Homestead Act and railroad expansion increased pressure, leading to their removal to present-day Oklahoma following the 1867 Omnibus Treaty. There, they were incorporated as part of the Peoria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma, which was officially federally recognized by the United States Congress in 1978.

Culture

Traditionally a semi-sedentary people, Peoria culture centered on agriculture, hunting, and trade within the vast network of the Mississippi River valley. Villages consisted of large, dome-shaped wigwams and communal longhouses. They cultivated extensive fields of maize, beans, and squash, and conducted seasonal hunts for bison on the Great Plains and white-tailed deer in the woodlands. Social organization was based on clan systems and hereditary leadership. Important ceremonies included the Green Corn Ceremony and rituals related to the calumet, or sacred pipe, which was central to diplomacy and trade with neighboring tribes like the Osage and European powers. After relocation to Oklahoma, cultural practices intermingled with those of other relocated tribes such as the Miami and Ottawa, and later incorporated elements of Christianity.

Language

The Peoria historically spoke a dialect of Miami-Illinois, a Central Algonquian language closely related to those of the Kickapoo and Sauk. The language was documented by French Jesuit missionaries like Jacques Gravier, who compiled dictionaries and religious texts. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, due to federal assimilation policies like those enforced at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, the language fell into disuse. The last known native speaker, Catherine T. Weller, died in the 1960s. The tribe, in partnership with institutions like the University of Oklahoma, has undertaken active language revitalization efforts, using historical manuscripts to create new learning materials.

Government and economy

The modern Peoria Indian Tribe of Oklahoma operates under a constitution approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The government is led by a Chief, Second Chief, and a Business Committee elected by tribal members. The tribal headquarters are in Miami, Oklahoma, within the Ottawa County jurisdiction. Economically, the tribe operates several enterprises, most notably the Buffalo Run Casino & Resort in Miami. Revenue from gaming and other ventures funds tribal services, including healthcare, education, and housing programs. The tribe also manages natural resources and cultural preservation projects, asserting its rights as a sovereign nation within the framework of U.S. federal law as defined by the Indian Reorganization Act and subsequent legislation.

Notable Peoria people

* John Wilson, a 19th-century chief who played a key role in tribal consolidation and relocation to Indian Territory. * Thomas F. Scharf, a late 19th and early 20th-century leader who served as Chief and advocated for tribal rights during the Allotment Era. * Catherine T. Weller, recognized as the last native speaker of the Peoria dialect of the Miami-Illinois language. * Donald G. Gentry, a modern-era Chief who helped secure federal recognition in 1978 and fostered economic development.

Category:Native American tribes in Oklahoma Category:Illinois Confederation Category:Federally recognized tribes in the United States