The rituals and secrets of Mardi Gras in New Orleans are kept by those
who participate in the carnival organizations. In line with that tradition,
Mardi Gras Indians are very guarded and mostly out of the mainstream Mardi
Gras celebration - although they have been parading for over a century,
they are still a commonly unrecognized tradition by the public at large.
As early as the mid-19th century, Carnival revelers, mostly African American, dressed up for Mardi Gras in hand-crafted costumes influenced by Native American design. The tradition originates from the connection between Africans and Native Americans. The Native American community aided slaves to help them become free.
It should be noted, in 1984, the tribe Fi Yi Yi: Spirit of the Mandingo Warrior was formed and uses African influenced design themes instead of the traditional Native American themes.
In the past, Mardi Gras was sometimes violent for the Black Indians because Fat Tuesday represented a day to settle old scores among rivals. Thankfully, that tradition has evolved into a showcase for craftsmanship and talent of the tribes. Violence has been replaced with mutual respect for tradition and the arts.
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, approximately 40 tribes were in existence:
- 7th Ward Hunters
- 9th Ward Hunters
- Black Eagles
- Black Hawk Hunters
- Black Feathers
- Black Seminoles
- Blackfoot Hunters
- Carrollton Hunters
- Cheyenne Hunters
- Comanche Hunters
- Congo Nation
- Creole Osceola
- Creole Wild West
- Fi-Yi-Yi
- Flaming Arrows
- Geronimo Hunters
- Golden Arrows
- Golden Blades
- Golden Comanche
- Golden Eagles
- Golden Start Hunters
- Guardians of Flames
- Mohawk Hunters
- Morning Star Hunters
- Red Hawk Hunters
- Seminole Hunters
- Seminole
- Skull & Bones
- White Cloud Hunters
- White Eagles
- Wild Apache
- Wild Bogacheeta
- Wild Tchoupitoulas
- Wild Magnolia
- Yellow Pocahontas
- Young Navaho
- Young Brave Hunters
- Young Monogram Hunters
- Young Cheyenne
- 7th Ward Hard Headers
