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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". The Super Sunday Mardi Gras Indian parade rolls in Central City in New Orleans, Sunday, March 24, 2024. On April 7, scores of Black masking Indians will gather on the south end of Bayou St Big Chief Dave Montana of the Washitaw Nation Mardi Gras Indian tribe sings “Shallow Water” and plays the tambourine for a crowd at Bayou St. John on April 7, 2024 during Downtown Super Sunday. Big Chief Victor Harris greats a crowd at Bayou St. John for the Downtown Super Sunday parade on April 7, 2024. Big Chief Demond Melancon hand beading a part of his Mardi Gras Indian suit. (C)2019 GILES CLEMENT/DEMOND MELANCON. In 2008, after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, Melancon returned to masking. Mardi Gras Indians in 2013 Derek Bridges via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0. Though some elements of the tradition gave her pause, she noted that the tradition developed “out of a shared To most Americans, "Super Sunday" connotates the Sunday on which the NFL Super Bowl is played. However, in New Orleans, Super Sunday has a totally different meaning. It is a day for the city's Mardi Gras Indian tribes to put on their colorful suits and "strut their stuff" while marching in a procession through the streets. In keeping with traditions that date back to the 19th century, Uptown 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. Mardi Gras Indian suits cost thousands of dollars in materials alone and can weigh upwards of one hundred pounds (45 kg). [183] A suit usually takes between six and nine months to plan and complete, but can take up to a year. [n] Mardi Gras Indians design and create their own suits; elaborate bead patches depict meaningful and symbolic scenes. Perhaps one of the biggest kept secrets though is the society of Mardi Gras Indians. The Mardi Gras Indians are a group mainly made up of black New Orleans citizens from the inner-city. The society has a colorful history that’s well worth reading up on. Once made up of violent krewes, these now-peaceful tribes now compare their tribal song Born in New Orleans on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941, Boudreaux is the oldest living Mardi Gras Indian Chief. In 2021, he was nominated for a Grammy, in the “Best Regional Roots Album” category, for his Reggae-inflected album, Bloodstains & Teardrops , recorded in part in Kingston, Jamacia. 2. Mardi Gras Parade at OWA Parks & Resort. OWA Parks & Resort is a hub of entertainment for people of all ages—especially during holidays. This Mardi Gras, you can celebrate in style with decked-out floats, masks, beads and more in Downtown OWA. When: March 2, 2025; Where: Downtown OWA, 100 N OWA Blvd, Foley, AL 36535 Mardi Gras Indians: The Warriors of Black Mardi Gras. Another unforgettable Black Mardi Gras tradition comes from the Mardi Gras Indians. These groups, known as “tribes,” date back to the late 19th century. Their traditions honor the historic bond between Black people and Native Americans. The Art of the Mardi Gras Indian Suit It's not too late to see the Mardi Gras Indians at The Circle of Chiefs' 10th Annual "Indian Cha WA" Downtown Super Sunday. This year, the tribes are suiting up and gathering on Orleans and Moss (Bayou St. John) on Sunday, April 10th at 12 p.m. The crowd follows the Mardi Gras Indians to the start of their journey down Orleans Avenue from Bayou St. John during the Circle of Chiefs 7th Annual Indian Cha Wa (Downtown Super Sunday). *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 Northside Skull & Bone Gang will start at 5am Mardi Gras morning at 2500 Bayou Road at The Church of "I am That I am," also known as the King and Queen Emporium International. Mystic Seven Sisters step out at the corner of Barracks & Treme St. at 5am for the 8th annual Carnival morning Blessing Ceremony. The Mardi Gras Indian tradition is a long-standing one that fascinates many, for the time and care taken with each suit and the stamina required to create the suit and to parade. Being a Mardi Gras Indian is, essentially, membership in a social aid and pleasure club. Mardi Gras Indians had been chanting a version of it on the streets of New Orleans for years. They weren't even the first to record it. James "Sugar Boy" Crawford did that in 1953 with his "Jock-A Click on the Mardi Gras krewes below for further information about the krewe and to see their usual route for each parade. Please note: Events and activities are subject to change without notice. In the pantheon of city-specific Mardi Gras cultures, witnessing the Black Masking Indians requires a little bit of effort on the part of its spectators. Unlike the iconic float parades or more free-form costumed gatherings, “catching the Indians” requires a dedication to the hunt and a working knowledge of the city’s backstreets.
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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