Description
The Moingona or Moingwena were a historic Miami-Illinois tribe. They may have been close allies of or perhaps part of the Peoria. They were assimilated by that tribe and lost their separate identity about 1700. Today their descendants are enrolled in the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, a federally-recognized tribe. The Moingwena no longer exist as an American Indian tribe. Their descendants may be included among today's Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma. The Moingwena were a small tribe of the Illinois, a group of about twelve Midwestern Algonquian-speaking tribes who shared a similar culture.
Language
The Algonquian language was spoken by the Illinois and Kaskaskia peoples in Illinois, the Miami, Wea, and Piankashaw peoples in Indiana, and the Peoria people in Eastern Oklahoma.
Culture
They subsisted on agriculture, fishing, and gathering, dried and stored in pits. Peace and war chiefs governed, and members were punished for disobedience. A shaman association dominated tribal religion. Birds, especially to warriors, were representations of supernatural power. Like most Native American tribes, the men were mainly hunters and warriors while the women had domestic and agricultural roles. However, records show that some women also had positions of leadership, including those for ritualistic purposes. eople of all social roles and positions were very religious, relying on spiritual guidance to dictate every aspect of their lives. Hunters depended on spirits in catching wild animals, warriors asked the spirits for guidance before warfare, and shamans were regularly employed to absolve matters concerning physical and mental health.