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Big Chief Demond Melancon wears his Red Cloud suit amongst other members of Mardi Gras Indian tribes ... [+] during Mardi Gras 2014.
(C) Demond Melancon
In February 2021, the usual bustle of New Orleans’ Canal Street stopped when onlookers noticed that the stone pedestal, which had once held a bronze statue dedicated to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, now showcased a plastic-encased Mardi Gras Indian ensemble. This striking garment was a massive, intricately beaded, feathered dark green creation belonging to Demond Melancon, the Big Chief of the Young Seminole Hunters Tribe of the 9th Ward.
Commuters may have thought the suit’s unusual display was due to the pandemic’s impact on the Mardi Gras season. However, according to Big Chief Melancon, this "act of rebellion" was tied to the rich legacy of the Mardi Gras Indians and their history within the vibrant tapestry of New Orleans.
Big Chief Demond Melancon's Jah Defender Suit on top of a pedestal where a Confederate monument had ... [+] formerly stood for over a century.
Demond Melancon
Often seen as the captivating totems of the festival season, the Indians, also known as the Black Masking Indians, have origins founded in traditions that symbolize a unique connection between African and Indigenous heritage in the Crescent City.
In the 1600s, when French colonizers began to invade areas around the Mississippi River, they encountered several Indigenous tribes, including the Chitimachas, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws. As colonization progressed, both Indigenous and the newly trafficked Africans found themselves united in their struggles against displacement and enslavement. Throughout these tumultuous years, the two groups allied to resist oppression.
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