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Mardi Gras Indians at Algiers Riverfest New Orleans 2009 showing their beadwork. The Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians or Black Maskers) [a] are African American carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for their elaborate suits and participation in Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras Indians symbolize a unique connection between African and Indigenous heritage in the Crescent City. the Indians, also known as the Black Masking Indians, have origins founded in “What it means to be Black can be a lot of things in Louisiana,” says Darensbourg, who discussed the issue of Mardi Gras Indians and appropriation in the 2021 documentary Big Chief, Black One of the most mysterious, fascinating, and colorful pieces of New Orleans’ cultural quilt belongs to Mardi Gras Indians, also referred to as Black Masking Indians. A unique and historic subculture of New Orleans, Black Masking Indians and their traditions date back to the 1800s when Native Americans provided safe refuge and a sense of *The Mardi Gras Indians are celebrated on this date (Fat Tuesday) in 1732. These African Americans participate as a cultural foundation of New Orleans and Mardi gras history. The Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secret society as any other carnival organization. The heritage of the Mardi Gras Indians is an African based long and hard road, starting in late 1600's with the Indian Indians would meet on Mardi Gras; it was a day to settle scores." - Larry Bannock, Past President, New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council. Masking Indian Indians Ranks Super Sunday Keep-N-It-Real Indian Videos. Mardi Gras is full of secrets, and the Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secrecy as any other carnival organization. The cultures mingled. The most visual manifestation was the Mardi Gras Indians. For Black males, this was a chance to be a part of a gang and to direct talents in a creative way. The feathery costumes were influenced by the style of the Plains Indians, who they saw perform at traveling Wild West Shows. In the documentary short—filmed in advance of the 2018 Mardi Gras season—Melancon recites the origin story of the Black Indians. The camera pans to a dream sequence set along a riverbank in a Black Masking Indians helped to bring inclusion of African Americans to a segregated Mardi Gras. In 1703, people in what is now Mobile, Alabama celebrated the first Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras Indians came to the world’s attention in 1965, when New Orleans girl group The Dixie Cups struck pop-music gold with “Iko Iko” (a cover of 1953’s “Jock-A-Mo,” by Sugar Since 1970, when they appeared at the inaugural New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Mardi Gras Indians, also known as Black Masking Indians, have emerged from the relative obscurity of neighborhood backstreets to become celebrated icons, with their music and folkways emblazoned on the cultural consciousness of New Orleans and beyond. African-Americans in the city have paraded in spectacular regalia inspired by Native American motifs for more than a century. The song of the Mardi Gras Indians exudes joy, defiance — and mystery. The New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council always has their Indian Sunday on the third Sunday of March, around St. Joseph's Day. Their festivities begin at noon in A.L. Davis Park (at Washington & LaSalle Streets) where the Mardi Gras Indians once again dress in their feathers and suits and take to the streets to meet other "gangs". One thing is certain; the Mardi Gras Indian tradition is one that is distinctly African American and only exists in New Orleans. The Mardi Gras Indian tradition is linked to the early encounters between New Orleans Native and Black communities. Founded by the French in 1718, New Orleans sits on the native lands of the Chitimacha Tribe. The most anticipated Mardi Gras tradition is the Black Masking Indians, often called the Mardi Gras Indians. Black Masking Indian history honors the relationships and bloodlines forged between Most outsiders stand in awe of Mardi Gras Indians’ elaborate suits, but due to the secrecy of this ritual few understand its origins. Join Tank Ball as she meets Masking Indians and explores one The 9th Ward Seminoles Black Masking Indian tribe Big Chief Keitoe Jones and his great niece Little Queen Zia Brumfield, 9, walk on Claiborne Avenue on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans in 2024. The Mardi Gras Indians carry a cultural memory rooted in dances of enslaved Africans at the antebellum park, Congo Square. Choctaw and other indigenous peoples watched the swirling ring dances with people in costumes, and as black people moved beyond slavery, the circles opened into streams of dancers following bands in streets, and black men parading at Mardi Gras in costumes of Native Americans. From there, European horns were added to the musical mix and the action shifted to Congo Square—where Sunday gatherings started to give birth to early jazz and traditions that have been carried forward to the gatherings of today. Black Masking Indians joined the Mardi Gras party in the 1880s. Each coconut features custom designs, making every one different. Catching a Zulu coconut is a sign of good luck and a special piece of Black Mardi Gras history. Related: Zulu Blackface Controversy Mardi Gras Indians: The Warriors of Black Mardi Gras. Another unforgettable Black Mardi Gras tradition comes from the Mardi Gras Indians. These
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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