Tunica Tribe

The Tunica people were a group of linguistically and culturally related Native American tribes in the Mississippi River Valley, which include the Tunica (also spelled Tonica, Tonnica, and Thonnica); the Yazoo; the Koroa (Akoroa); and possibly the Tioux.They first encountered Europeans in 1541 - members of the Hernando de Soto expedition.
Over the next centuries, under pressure from hostile neighbors, the Tunica migrated south from the Central Mississippi Valley to the Lower Mississippi Valley. Eventually they moved westward from the river and settled at present-day Marksville, Louisiana.
Since the early 19th century, they have intermarried with the Biloxi tribe, an unrelated Siouan-speaking people from the vicinity of Biloxi, Mississippi and shared land. Remnant peoples from other small tribes also merged with them. The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, which shares a reservation, was federally recognized in 1981.
To find more about the history and the origins of this state, click on this sites:
http://www.knowla.org/entry.php?rec=623

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunica-Biloxi#History 


It was extremely interesting for me was to read about the treasure of this tribe. So, I would like to share with you some information, which you can read on this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunica-Biloxi#Tunica_treasure 

I am sure, that curios people would like to know a bit more information about the style of life, which this tribe has been leading till nowadays. That's why, I have selected issues, which were especially interesting to me and can make a wider understanding of Tunica's life. 

•  How do you pronounce "Tunica"? What does it mean?
  It's pronounced "too-nih-kah." It comes from a word in their own language that means "the people."

•  What language do the Tunicas speak?  Most Tunica people speak English today. Other Tunicas, especially older people, speak French. In the past, Tunica Indians spoke their own Tunica language. The Tunica language has not been spoken since the early 1900's, but some Tunica people are trying to learn their ancestral language again. You can read a Tunica picture glossary here.

• What was Tunica culture like in the past? What is it like now?
  Here is a link to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, where you can learn about the Tunica people past and present:  http://tunicabiloxi.org/

• What were men and women's roles in the Tunica tribe?
  Tunica men were hunters and sometimes went to war to protect their families. Tunica women made pottery and did most of the child care and cooking. Both genders took part in farming, storytelling, music, and traditional medicine. In the past, Tunica chiefs were always men, but today, both men and women participate in Tunica tribal government.
• What were Tunica homes like in the past?
  The Tunica people lived in villages of thatched houses. One Tunica family lived in each house. Some Tunica villages had palisades (reinforced walls) around them, to guard against attack. Today, the Tunicas live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you. 

• What was Tunica clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?
  Tunica men wore breechcloths and leather leggings. Tunica women wore wraparound skirts made of deerskin or woven fiber. Shirts were not necessary in the Tunica culture, but men and women both wore mantles in cooler weather. The Tunicas also wore moccasins on their feet. Here are some photographs and links about Indian apparel in general.
  The Tunicas didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Most of the time they went bare-headed, but Tunica warriors sometimes did wear a porcupine roach. Both men and women usually wore their hair long. The Tunicas didn't usually paint their faces, but they did decorate their bodies with tribal tattoos. Both men and women wore tattoos in the Tunica tribe.
  
  Today, some Tunica people still wear moccasins, but they wear modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear roaches in their hair on special occasions like a dance.
• What are Tunica arts and crafts like?
  The Tunicas were known for their pottery, baskets, and woodcarvings. They also made textiles from mulberry bark, which they used to weave clothing and blankets.
• What kinds of stories do the Tunicas tell?
  There are many traditional Tunica legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to the Tunica Indian culture.

         Learn More About The Tunicas

1. http://www.knowla.org/entry.php?rec=623
2.  http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/carla-ledbetter/2011/feb/5/tunica-biloxi-tribe-honors-past-and-builds-future/ 
3. http://www.bigorrin.org/tunica_kids.ht
4.  http://openjurist.org/935/f2d/280/tunica-biloxi-tribe-v-united-states