Fun Fact Friday with Special Collections

Today we are celebrating Black History Month and Mardi Gras with a look at a history of the black Mardi Gras Indians.

The Mardi Gras Indians are black carnival revelers in Louisiana who dress up for Mardi Gras in suits influenced by Native American ceremonial wear. These suits can weigh upwards of 100 pounds and are composed of beads, feathers, and sequins. The beadwork is done entirely by hand and some of these elaborate suits are displayed in museums around the country.

Though traditionally they have paraded their costumes on Mardi Gras Day, they also parade on St. Joseph’s Day and/or the Sunday nearest to St. Joseph’s Day, which is known as Super Sunday.

During the parade, the Indians dance and sing traditional songs particular to their tribe. They tend to be a combination of languages loosely based on African dialects. When two tribes come across each other, they either pass by or meet for a symbolic fight.

Today, there are more than 60 tribes in Louisiana.

More information on the black Mardi Gras Indians can be found in Special Collections, especially in:

• No, I Won’t Bow Down on That Dirty Ground, by Maurice M. Martinez
• Jockomo: The Native Roots of Mardi Gras Indians, by Shane Lief
• Chief of Chiefs: Robert Nathaniel Lee and the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans, 1915-2001, by Al Kennedy
• From the Kingdom of Kongo to Congo Square: Kongo Dances and the Origins of the Mardi Gras Indians, by Jeroen Dewulf

View more photos on the Special Collections Facebook Page.

Fun Fact Friday is brought to you by Special Collections.

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