A Short History of the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans
Independently researched by Willie W. Clark Jr. 11-16-1999
| One tradition in New Orleans clings onto to its ancestral strength of hard work, persistence pride, and the yearly renewal of respectfulness to its origins... that's the pride of a Mardi Gras Indian. In the midst of all the other venues of Mardi Gras , it is very easy to, often lose sight of the traditions that make up our heritage. Caucasians, African Americans, as well as other cultures, here in New Orleans, as well as across the nation, have, some to our detriment, cast aside many of the arts we once cherished. Those arts and customs now merely thought as old-fashioned and out-of-date. This we should not do with the ease, which we so readily exhibit. For in most of the traditions, are also some of our history. Some have said that's it's also our heritage. Some of this nation's heritage is best forgotten. But the history we dare not cast aside, lest we are totally doomed to repeat it. And that option, for African Americans, is thoroughly frightening. The Black Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans are a unique sub-culture of a highly diverse and complex group of the local population . The tradition of these masking Indians, dates back to the 1700's. The scholars that claim to know the origins of the Mardi Gras Indians (a two hundred year old tradition) sometimes conflict on the precise history. As a result of this lack of a solid path in the knowledge of Indian history, many theories abound, but this much is for certain, the Indians have preserved some of their culture and history in the guise of tradition, and that tradition at the time of Mardi Gras, is now an integral part of New Orleans. In the heart of New Orleans since the 1780's and perhaps earlier, this ancient colorful and artistic culture has been practiced. A culture, that be it known, exhibits all of that tradition, with some of the positive heritage, and is quite a unique history. In the B |
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