Although the Tunica were prosperous at this time , eventually problems with their white neighbors would take its toll . The Indian Removal Act of 1830 , signed by President Andrew Jackson , forced all of the major tribes east of the Mississippi River to be removed from their lands and relocated to reservations west of the river , or leave their tribes and accept US citizenship . This resulted in the infamous Trail of Tears for many of the Southeast natives , including the Five Civilized Tribes . Although the Tunica were not removed to Indian Territory , all Native Americans were under pressure . In 1841 the Tunica chief '' Melancon '' attempted to pull up fence posts fraudulently erected on Tunica land by an American trying to steal tribal land . The man , a local leader of the " Indian Patrol " , shot Chief Melancon in the head in full view of other Tunica . He was not prosecuted by local authorities and succeeded in stealing the land from the Tunica
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Tunica people