Black History Month Meets Mardi Gras

If you live north of the Mason Dixon, chances are you’ve never heard of the Mardi Gras Indians.  But come Fat Tuesday, they’ll be parading as they’ve done for well over one hundred years during New Orleans’ world-famous Mardi Gras celebrations.

In recognition of Black History Month, the Mardi Gras Indians recently paid a visit to Stuart Hall School for Boys, where students heard the story of how this colorful collection of tribes came to be.  Back when the first European settlers made their home in Louisiana, they forced many of the region’s original settlers—the native Indians—into slavery along with those they had shipped in from Africa.    

Over time, these two minority groups formed a bond as the native Indians helped the African slaves escape to freedom, and the Africans in turn helped the Indians fight for their land. Years later, as African Americans sought a way to celebrate Mardi Gras, they dressed themselves in elaborate Indian costumes, a salute to the bond they had forged in the early days of Louisiana.

Remarked teacher Cassie Brownell about the school visit, "The boys were thrilled to hear the rich history of the Mardi Gras Indians, to see the elaborate costumes hand-sewn by the men, to hear the traditional calls of the Big Chief, and to participate in the event by chanting and dancing along with the Indians." She continued, "In such a uniquely diverse and culturally dynamic city, it was incredible to [see] the ways these men continue to weave African history into the traditions of New Orleans." 

Learn more about the Mardi Gras Indians.