TUNICA INDIANS

TUNICA LIVE IN MISSISSIPPI AND EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA. THE MODERN TRIBE IS FROM DESCENDANTS OF TUNICA, BLOXIA, OFO, AND NATCHEZ AND CHOCTAW FOLKS. THEY SPEAK ENGLISH AND FRENCH TODAY. THEY LIVE ON TUNICA-BILOXI RESERVATION OF 415 ACRES IN MARKSVILLE, LOUISIANNA. THEY OPERATE A CASINO AND RESORT THAT OPENED IN 1994. THE CASINO CONTRIBUTES MONEY TO THEIR MEMBERS. THE 2000 CENSUS LISTS 648 PERSONS.

BY THE MID MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD THEY HAD A LIFESTYLE OF AGRICULTURE, POLITICAL STRUCTURES, MUSSEL SHELL, TEMPERED POTTERY, AND A CEREMONIAL COMPLEX. ARCHAEOLOGISTS SUGGEST THE MISSISSIPPIAN VALLEY WAS THE HOME OF SEVERAL PARAMOUNT CHIEFDOMS. THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED MANY PHASES.

IN 1541 HERNANDO DE SOTO AND HIS ARMY CAME UPON A VILLAGE OF THE TUNICA ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THERE WERE MANY RELATED GROUPS ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND IN ARKANSAS. EVALUATIONS OF THE THREE SURVIVING DE SOTO NARRATIVES FOR TOPOGRAPHY, LANGUAGE, AND CULTURAL TRAITS COMBINED WITH ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS HAVE LEFT ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND ETHNOHISTORIANS COMFORTABLE IN IDENTIFYING FOUR PHASES OF PREHISTORY. IN 1700 WHEN THE LA SOURCE EXPEDITION OCCURRED THE TUNICA NUMBERED ONLY A FEW HUNDRED WARRIORS. BY THE TIME THE FRENCH ARRIVED THE VALLEY HAD FEW TUNICA AND QUAPAW WHO WERE THEIR ALLIES.

AT 1700 THE FRENCH BUILT A MISSION ON THE YAZOO RIVER AND FATHER DAVION WAS IN CHARGE. THE TUMICA WERE TRADERS AND ENTREPRENEURS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SALT, A VALUABLE ITEM TO THE NATIVES AND THE ANGLOS. BY 1706 THE TUNICA DECIDED TO MOVE TO THE MISSISSIPPI SIDE OF THE RIVER AND RED RIVER CONFLUENCE. THEY THEN COULD KEEP CONTROL OF THEIR SALT
TRADE.

MISSISSIPPI IA AN ALGONQUIN WORD MEANING BIG RIVER IN OJIBWA. THEY LIVE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA NOT IN MISSISSIPPI. ONLY THE CHOCTAW LIVE IN MISSISSIPPI. AND ARE THE ONLY FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE IN MISSISSIPPI. MOST OF THE ORIGINAL INDIANS WERE FORCED TO LIVE ON RESERVATIONS OF OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS.

BILOXI INDIANS ARE STILL HERE IN MISSISSIPPI. THEIR HISTORY IS INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT. THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE FIRST PEOPLE FROM CHOCTAW LANGUAGE. THEY BELONGED TO THE MUSKHOGEAN STOCK. GATSCHET VISITED THE SURVIVORS OF THE TRIBE IN LOUISIANA IN 1886 AND FOUND THEIR WORDS RESEMBLED THOSE IN THE SIOUAN LANGUAGE. ONE SETTLER FOUND THEM IN 1699 ON THE BILOXIA BAY IN MISSISSIPPI WITH TWO OTHER SMALL TRIBES IN 20 CABINS. IT SEEMS THEY ALLIED WITH THE FRENCH IN 1760. THEY MOVED AROUND TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI AND TEXAS. PRIOR TO THE ANGLOS THEY WORE BREECH CLOTHS, LEGGINGS, MOCCASINS, AND WRAPPED THEMSELVES IN SKIN ROBES. THEY WORE FEATHER HEADDRESSES AND BONE NECKLACES, NOSE RINGS AND EARRINGS. TATTOOS WERE LIMITED. THEY MARRIED AND LIVED WITH THEIR WIFE'S FAMILY (MATRILOCAL SOCIETY). THEY HAD AN ELABORATE SYSTEM OF KINSHIP. THEY HAD VARIOUS CLANS.

BY THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THE TUNICA WERE RAIDED BY THE CHICKASAW FOR THE ENGLISH SLAVE TRADE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY BUILT A COLLECTION OF HAMLETS AND VILLAGES IN ANGOLA LOUISIANA. ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS OF A SMALL HAMLET WAS REDISCOVERED IN 1976. IN 1729 THE CHIEFS OF THE VILLAGES SENT EMISSARIES TO POTENTIAL ALLIES. THE NATCHEZ WAR EXPANDED INTO MANY REGIONAL CONFLICTS. THE TUNICA AT FIRST REFUSED TO FIGHT. IN JUNE OF 1730 THE TUNISIA AGREED TO LET A SMALL PARTY OF NATCHEZ REFUGEES SETTLE NEAR HIS VILLAGE. THE CHIEF CAME IN AND SAID THEY HAD TO GIVE UP THEIR WEAPONS. THEY HAD A MAJOR FIGHT WITH THE NATCHEZ AND KILLED 33 OF THEIR WARRIORS AND THE NATCHEZ KILLED 20 TUNICA AND LATER THEIR CHIEF.

AFTER 1731 THEY MOVED AWAY TO TRUDEAU SITE THEY BURIED AS GRAVE GOODS EUROPEAN GOODS, BEADS, PORCELAIN, GUNS, KETTLES, AND OTHER ITEMS INCLUDING POTTERY. THESE WERE DISCOVERED IN THE 20TH CENTURY AS ARTIFACTS INDICATING THEY WERE IN THE 2OTH CENTURY AS ARTIFACTS INDICATING THEY WEALTHY. AFTER 1764 THEY MOVED TO THE SOUTH AT TRUDEAU LANDING . THE OTHER TRIBES THERE BECAME THEIR FRIENDS. IN 1800'S THEY BECAME SUBSISTENCE FARMERS WITH SOME HUNTING AND FISHING TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES. SOME STILL SPOKE THEIR ORIGINAL LANGUAGE. THEY PRACTICED THEIR TRADITIONAL CEREMONIES AND RETAINED POSSESSION OF THEIR LANDS. THEY INTERMARRIED WITH EUROPEANS AND AFRICANS AS WELL.


ACCESS-GENEOLOGY
NATIVE-LANGUAGES