MISC Mardi Gras 2012 in New Orleans

(Mardi Gras. part 3.) Fi Ya Ya - Mandingo Warriors !!!

St. Joseph's Night 2011

Big Chief Victor Harris of Fi Ya Ya Mandigo Warriors coming out for St. Joeseph's Night in the 7th Ward. (Again, GOD.BLESS.THIS.CITY.)

St. Joseph's Night in NOLA

OK, there are one million more where this came from, but as I am still in the Crescent City and still trying to figure out the structure for this project, here is just a little peak at what I've been up to:

 Michael Tenner Jr., Spyboy for the Comanche Hunters, poses in front of Vernon Freeman, Flagboy for the tribe, in front of the House of Dance and Feathers in the Lower Ninth Ward. St. Joseph's night was the first time that Michael Jr. at age 6 masked Indian. The pose is both for photographs and a part of preparations for the evening. Even though he is only 6 years old, it is expected that Michael Jr, as Spyboy of the Comanche Hunters will always be in front of Freeman, looking out for other Indians.

Unpacking the Indians (Part One)

So, after going to Mardi Gras Indian practice a few weeks ago and really trying to figure out my approach to covering this phenomenon, I realized that most basic place to start is in attempting to define the cultural marvel itself. So, to borrow from the (radical) author Ned Sublette, who put my own feelings so succinctly into prose, “I don’t claim to be the guy who knows the most about New Orleans, and I don’t claim to speak for New Orleans, but I speak for the New Orleans that’s in me.” (The Year Before the Flood)  What follows is my personal interpretation of this unique sub-culture. I am no expert and I wholly accept that I may be totally off base. Take this for what it is… the impressions that a city and culture have left on a young woman left completely, desperately, and unashamedly in-love with it.

The History

A great place to start is this clip of a documentary about the Black Indians of New Orleans (A sort of synonym for Mardi Gras Indians, who locals seems most likely to refer to as simply "The Injuns"). The clip is only 9mins long and stops aburptly and I can't seem to dig up the subsequent clips anywhere, but it is a good place to start none-the-less....

Wikipedia defines the Mardi Gras Indians as Carnival revelers who mask as Native America Indians.... this is true, but the story is far more complex than just that.

Basically, the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans are a cultural phenomenon that dates back to at least the mid 19th Century and is either a tradition that was born out of the reverence African-American slaves felt for the benevolence of Native American Indians who took them in when they ran away from their masters or it's a tradition that was born out of the lure of Buffalo Bill's Wilds West show that was in NoLa in the 1880s or it is a tradition that has its roots firmly in the tribal customs and living role play that originates in Africa OR..... as I suspect, a combination of all three.

No matter how it started, the tradition manifests itself in the marriage of Native American dress, African color pallets, beaded artwork, African rhythms and movements, hand sewing, living theater role-play, prayer, and soulful resistance to racist oppression.

One of the most powerful experiences I have ever had happened inside practice a few weeks ago when, while on my knees trying to photograph, the visions of African tribes dancing and drumming entered my mind and I realized that the pulses of Africa are still thumping in New Orleans as the traditions, rhythms, and dances of the continent are manifested as ancient memories and acknowledged and nurtured in such heritage traditions as Indian masking... more to come on that sentiment, but I highly recommend this entire documentary, and especially the part about the Indians and their seemingly unconscious symbiotic relationship to the tribesmen of West Africa.

Watch This:

FolkStreams » Jazz Parades

(A sneak peak of my images of Mardi Gras Indians. A Wild Man on the porch of the Backstreet Cultural Museum on Mardi Gras day 2007.)

Stay tuned.... the next post will try to explain just what it is that the Indians do.....

Mardi Gras Indian Practice!!!!

Last week, while in New Orleans with the Recession-Where Y'at student group from UT, I made the connection I thought would take me at least 5 years to make within the Mardi Gras Indian community of New Orleans!

While at the Original Four Social Aid and Pleasure Club's Annual Secondline, with music from the  Stooges Brass Band....

...(which was way fun, per usual) an extremely photogenic lady I have shot many times throughout the years at these parades entered my lens.

Yaa, as she likes to be known, told me that she recognized me and wants to see some photos I've taken of her. I of course gave her my card and then our conversation was distracted by something so, I went on shooting and she went on dancing. After a few minutes I felt a tug on my shirt. As I looked back to see who it was, Yaa let out her signiture "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!" yell and smiled real big and pulled me down to her level. (Yaa is probably no taller than 4 feet 9 inches, in my estimation....but her personality is at least 7 feet tall!) She hollered in my ear that she is in a Social Aid and Pleasure Club, but her parade had just rolled last weekend. Then she said the magical words I've always wanted to hear. "Reno, baby, I want you to take my S & P Club's picture all the time. Maybe you can come to next year's parade?" Ummm, "No problem! Of Course! I love that," all came out of my mouth in one breath. And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any better she adds in, "AND I'm a Mardi Gras Indian and we got practice tonight. You wanna come?" WHAT? Is this real? Do I wanna come?! Not only do I wanna come"\, I think to myself, "but I also want to switch Master's Projects and move here now!!! Dang.

Here's a small (very small) sneak peak of what's to come. (Truth be told, shooting Mardi Indian Practice that night was one of the most difficult things I've ever tried to shoot. There is basically no light at all in the small bar where The Wild Magnolias hold practice every Sunday night. Its also jam-packed with people and includes some very fast movements. I've got to figure out how I'm going to over come the lack of light situation so, if any of you photogs out there have a suggestion that does not involve flash, Id love to hear it!):

Stay tuned on this one for sure...........

(Also, for more information on what exactly a Mardi Gras Indian is - check back in a couple of days. I'm gonna throw together a little something to help explain it all, but in the meantime, just know that it's completely RADICAL to the MAXXXXXXX!)