Mardi Gras Indians

Mardi Gras Indians at Algiers Riverfest New Orleans 2009 showing their beadwork

Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians) are African American carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, who dress up for Mardi Gras in suits influenced by the cultural practices of Native Americans, West Africans,[1] and Afro-Caribbeans. The music, dance, and regalia from these cultures created the Mardi Gras Indian tradition during the era of slavery in Louisiana that continues today.[2] This cultural tradition is a part of the African and African diaspora decorative aesthetic, and is an African-American art form. Black masking Indians are a subculture in New Orleans.[3][4][5]

Participants call their krewes "tribes" (another name used are "gangs" for Indian tribes in similar attire)[6][7] which should not be confused with actual Native American tribes. As Mardi Gras New Orleans states, "Their 'tribes' are named for imaginary Indian tribes according to the streets of their ward or gang."[8] These are African Americans who "mask" as Native Americans.[7] Some Mardi Gras Indians describe their decorative aesthetic as their culture and religion.[9] Other Black maskers do not mask as Native Americans but as orisha spirits from the Yoruba religion and Skull and Bones gangs. Their tradition is rooted in African-American spirituality and Black culture. The suits (regalia), dances, songs, drumbeats, and celebrations performed convey spiritual and cultural meanings about the celebration of life, addressing social justice issues, political liberation, transformation, healing, protection from the unknown, spirit possession, and the conjuring of spirits.[10][11] The Black Mardi Gras Indian tradition is defined by Joyce Marie Jackson of Tulane University as an African American celebration drawing on American Indian and West African "motifs and music to create a folk ritual and street theater unique to New Orleans".[12]

There are more than 40 active "tribes"[7] which range in size from half a dozen to several dozen members. Groups are largely independent, but a pair of umbrella organizations loosely coordinates the Uptown Indians and the Downtown Indians. Their suits are displayed in museums in Louisiana and the Smithsonian. The complex artistry designed on suits is only found in the Mardi Gras Indian art community in New Orleans.[13] Author Marjorie Cohee Manifold explains the tradition as a "unique cultural expression of costume masquerade performance."[14]

In addition to Mardi Gras Day, many of the "tribes" also parade on Saint Joseph's Day (March 19) and the Sunday nearest to Saint Joseph's Day ("Super Sunday"). Traditionally, these were the only times Mardi Gras Indians were seen in public in full regalia. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival began the practice of hiring "tribes" to appear at the Festival as well. In recent years it has become more common to see Mardi Gras Indians at other festivals and parades in the city.

Notwithstanding the popularity of such activities for tourists and residents alike, the phenomenon of the Mardi Gras Indians is said to reflect both a vital musical history and an equally vital attempt to express internal social dynamics.[15]

  1. ^ Massa, Dominic (2020). "Inside New Orleans' Mardi Gras Indian culture". 4WWL TV. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  2. ^ "Exclusive Spotlight: Black Masking Indians". 4WWL TV. 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
  3. ^ Lief, Shane; John, McCusker (2019). Jockomo: The Native Roots of Mardi Gras Indians. University Press of Mississippi. p. 9-10, 18, 43, 75-90. ISBN 9781496825926.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference tulane musicrising was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference becker review was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Lief, Shane; John, McCusker (2019). Jockomo The Native Roots of Mardi Gras Indians. University Press of Mississippi. p. 3. ISBN 9781496825919.
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference mask was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference mardigrasneworleans.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Williams, Nikesha (2022). Mardi Gras Indians. Louisiana State University Press. pp. 1960–1970. ISBN 9780807179123.
  10. ^ "Mystery in Motion: African American Masking and Spirituality in Mardi Gras". Louisiana State Museums. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Meade, Natelie (February 9, 2022). "The Undersung Histories of Mardi Gras's Black Indians". Arthur Roger Gallery. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  12. ^ Jackson, Joyce; Mosadomi, Fehintola. "The Masking Traditions of the Nigerian Yoruba Egungun and the New Orleans Black Mardi Gras Indians". The University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Saxon, Jamie; Kelly, Morgan. "New Orleans' Black Masking Indian chiefs discuss art, community". High Meadows Environmental Institute. Princeton University. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  14. ^ Manifold, Marjorie (2017). Art Themes Choices in Art Learning and Making. Indiana University Press. p. 668. ISBN 9780253031204.
  15. ^ Draper, David Elliott (1973). The Mardi Gras Indians: The Ethnomusicology of Black Associations in New Orleans. Tulane University PhD Dissertation.