Front and center at the Backstreet Museum are the Carnival Indians, later known as Mardi Gras Indians, which began as a way to pay homage to the indigenous Native communities that welcomed ...

RELATED STORY: Black Masking Indian puts finishing touches on Mardi Gras suit Around 10:30 a.m., Shay Henry and her husband, ...

What You Should Know About the Mardi Gras Indians For more than a century, New Orleans’ Black residents have donned Native-inspired attire to celebrate Carnival ...

RELATED STORY: Black Masking Indian puts finishing touches on Mardi Gras suit Around 10:30 a.m., Shay Henry and her husband, Keniel, stood near the door where the big chief was expected to appear.

Group of 18 Stereograph Views of the 1884/1885 New Orleans Centennial International Exhibition, ...More 1850s-1910s, Albumen silver prints, Mounts: 10.8 x 17.8 cm (4 1/4 x 7 in.), Photographs ...

Welcome to Mardi Gras Unmasked, a multi-part series exploring the cultures beneath the culture of New Orleans and Mardi Gras, celebrating the artistic, musical, and culinary heritage of The Big ...

New Orleans' Mardi Gras Indians, or the Black Indians of New Orleans, are African-American communities who parade and dance through the streets of Louisiana city in abundant and colorful costumes.

With elaborate, vibrant costumes and deep traditions, New Orleans' Mardi Gras Indians are one of Carnival's most distinctive presences. Yet, for all their visibility, they're also one of the season's ...

But for Angel Chung Cutno, better known as Big Queen of the 8th Ward Black Seminole Tribe, the lead-up to Mardi Gras is about finishing her Black Masking Indian suit, a project she’s been ...

Mardi Gras is not only Catholic, it’s French, Creole, African-American, African and Native American. And there are layers to this ornate carnival that reveal a powerful history of Black joy ...