Moneton
Moneton was a branch of the Siouan language family that inhabited what is now West Virginia. This group is characterized by a lack of documentation regarding their language, making it difficult to study their cultural practices profoundly. Evidence indicates that the Moneton lived in matrilineal clans and engaged in significant initiation ceremonies. Their cultural identity was marked by distinctive long hair and tattoos, which differentiated them from neighboring Iroquoian tribes. Historical records suggest that the Moneton, along with other southeastern Sioux groups, faced severe challenges from the Iroquois and the impact of European diseases during the 15th to 17th centuries, leading to significant population declines and the loss of tribal cohesion. In 1671, the Moneton were visited by traders, and they were found to be living in a substantial settlement. However, they are not mentioned in subsequent records, leading to the assumption that they eventually merged with other Siouan groups in Virginia's Piedmont region. This history highlights the complexities and tragedies of indigenous tribes in the face of colonization.
Moneton
Category: Tribe
Culture area: Northeast
Language group: Siouan
Primary location: West Virginia
The Moneton, a branch of the Siouan language family, lived in West Virginia. As is the case for many of the eastern Sioux, there is no information about the Moneton language. Evidence suggests they lived in matrilineal clans and that they conducted harsh initiation ceremonies. They wore long hair and tattoos—decorations which set them clearly apart from their Iroquoian neighbors. Probably the Sioux had been in what is now the southeastern United States for hundreds or even thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived. Scholars have struggled to learn about the prehistoric migrations of the Sioux, but without much success. What is clear from oral tradition and the records of early white settlers is that through the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries the southeastern Sioux suffered greatly. Constant attack by the Iroquois and the introduction of new diseases by Europeans decimated the tribes. Many people fled and disappeared from record, while others were absorbed into other tribes; many died. In 1671, the Moneton were visited by the trader Thomas Batts. Three years later they were visited again by Gabriel Arthur, who reported finding them living in “a great town.” They were not heard of again and are assumed to have united with Siouan groups in the Piedmont region of Virginia.
