History of Mardi Gras Timeline

Archival records documented the first enslaved Africans apparently dressing as Indigenous people in a celebratory dance called Mardi Gras in 1746, an early precursor to the Black Masking Indian tradition.

Accounts describe Black gangs dressed as 'Native American militia' as early as 1836, documenting the growing presence of Native American-inspired masking among Black New Orleanians.

Native American images were incorporated into the practices of New Orleans Spiritual churches as early as 1852, contributing to the religious context that would later intertwine with Mardi Gras Indian traditions.

Image source: Spiritual church movement

From 1884 to 1885, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show wintered in New Orleans with a multicultural cast and crew of Black, Chinese, Mexican, European and Indigenous people, exposing locals to Native American imagery and performance.

Image source: Buffalo Bill

In 1885, the first recorded Mardi Gras Indian gang was formed by Becate Batiste, a putative Black Indian; the tribe was named 'The Creole Wild West', marking the formal beginning of the Mardi Gras Indian tradition.

After Leafy Anderson moved to New Orleans in 1920, many Spiritual churches introduced traditions associated with Mardi Gras Indians, including summoning the spirits of Native American resistance leaders such as Black Hawk, White Eagle, Red Cloud, and White Hawk.

After Emperor Haile Selassie I visited New Orleans in 1954, Rastafari influences also began to appear in Mardi Gras Indian suit designs, reflecting growing pan-African consciousness.

Image source: Rastafari

Scholars have found reports of Native American motifs on costumes and parades since the 18th century, though Mardi Gras Indians began to incorporate more imagery from African cultures and African diaspora religions into their regalia from the 1960s.

In 1857, The Pickwick Club, an all-white gentleman's club, formed the Mystick Krewe of Comus, a white-only carnival krewe that organized the first modern daytime parade and established segregated patterns in New Orleans carnival.

Image source: Mistick Krewe of Comus

In response to marginalization and police brutality experienced by Mardi Gras Indians, the Mardi Gras Indian Council formed in 1985 to facilitate better coordination between the 32 tribes and their members.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed African-American neighborhoods in New Orleans, disrupting Mardi Gras Indian communities while spurring powerful expressions of resilience in subsequent carnival seasons.

Image source: Hurricane Katrina

Beyoncé's 2016 visual album Lemonade showcases a Mardi Gras Indian circling a dining table, paying homage to the New Orleans culture and bringing the tradition to a global audience.

Image source: Lemonade (album)

Tiara Horton, Queen of the 9th Ward Black Hatchet tribe, created a Black Lives Matter suit in 2020 before the murder of George Floyd, showing beaded images of Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, and the Obamas.

Two Black Masking Indians recently incorporated Islamic religious beliefs into their suits: Floyd Edwards made a breastplate honoring Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire, and Peteh Muhammad Haroon beaded Elijah Muhammad alongside Muslim symbols of a crescent and star.

To preserve this practice for younger generations, Arts New Orleans' Young Artist Movement provided funding for local young Black artists to create Mardi Gras Indian suits, ensuring the tradition continues into the future.