[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12660]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  MARDI GRAS INDIANS HALL OF FAME DAY

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, most of my Senate colleagues are aware 
of the rich culture and heritage that is on display in Louisiana during 
the days and weeks before Lent. Parties and parades mark the end of the 
Mardi Gras season and the beginning of fasting and sacrifice. But few 
outside of Louisiana are familiar with the unique tradition of the 
Mardi Gras Indians.
  I rise today to celebrate this unique Louisiana tradition and 
recognize the Mardi Gras Indians Hall of Fame Day to be celebrated at 
Oretha Castle Haley Elementary School in New Orleans, LA, on August 7, 
2011.
  The history of the Mardi Gras Indians dates back to the late 1800s, 
but their origin remains a mystery. Because most of their history and 
practices have been passed from generation to generation orally, we may 
never know if the Mardi Gras Indians came about to pay homage to Native 
Americans for hiding runaway slaves or simply as a expression of the 
connection between Native Americans and African Americans. What we do 
know is that their tradition adds an incredible story to the history of 
New Orleans and Mardi Gras.
  Today, the Mardi Gras Indians consist of more than 40 individual 
tribes. These tribes compete against one another using chants and music 
along with their elaborately decorated costumes called ``suits.'' The 
suits are each hand sewn by the tribe members and typically take an 
entire year to complete. Ornaments on the suits can include feathers, 
ostrich plumes, beads, velvet, rhinestones, and sequins, all 
beautifully sewn together to tell the story of the individual tribe 
member and contribute to the tapestry of whole tribe. Native American, 
Aztecan, Caribbean, and West African cultures have all greatly 
influenced the work of art that is the Mardi Gras Indian suit.
  The traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians also include a hierarchy 
structure consisting of a ``big chief,'' a ``big queen,'' ``chiefs,'' 
``spy boys,'' ``flag boys,'' and ``wild men,'' just to name a few. 
Every member of the tribe has a specific set of duties culminating in 
the big chief who represents the tribe against all other tribes.
  In addition to being a key part of Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras Indians are 
strong community leaders in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. The 
Mardi Gras Indians have worked to preserve, celebrate, and advance the 
cultural arts and music of their tribes and communities. By doing this, 
the tribes have also continued to encourage the younger generations to 
learn and embrace the tribes' histories. One tribe, the Guardians of 
the Flame, has established a nonprofit called Guardians Institute to 
educate New Orleans children on the importance of art, music, and 
history in order to keep these traditions alive.
  Dr. Roslyn Smith, former principal of Oretha Castle Haley Elementary 
School in New Orleans, summarized the Mardi Gras Indians best by 
saying, ``the Big Chiefs are community leaders, and in many ways they 
are social warriors, struggling to preserve traditions of beauty in the 
community while working to make the communities better places.'' Please 
join me in honoring and celebrating the Mardi Gras Indians and 
especially the Mardi Gras Indians Hall of Fame Day on August, 7, 2011.

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