Berklee City Music

Berklee PULSE® Music Method

Unit 5 Won’t Bow Down - The Traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians

Unit Overview

Mardi Gras Indians - also known as Black Masking Indians - are a distinctly New Orleans tradition. Mardi Gras Indians are African American men, women, and children in New Orleans who are part of tribes (also referred to as gangs) that mask in elaborately hand-beaded and feathered suits inspired by Native American and African ceremonial dress.

Excluded from mainstream Carnival celebrations, Black New Orleanians started their own unique traditions and celebrations, including the Mardi Gras Indians. The precise date of the birth of the Mardi Gras Indians is unknown, as much of the history and tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians has been passed down orally. The Mardi Gras Indian tradition is linked to encounters between New Orleans Indigenous and Black communities. New Orleans sits on the native lands of the Chitimacha Tribe. Members of this tribe assisted enslaved people seeking refuge from the brutal system of chattel slavery. The Mardi Gras Indians tradition is a homage to the indigenous people who helped the enslaved people reclaim their freedom. Today, Mardi Gras Indians are known for the larger-than-life, hand-beaded suits, which incorporate beads, rhinestones, and ostrich feathers. Individuals create a brand new suit each year and reveal it on Mardi Gras Day.

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• Berklee College of Music
• Berklee City Music Network