Inside Black New Orleans' Most Sacred Ritual
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
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The centuries old traditions of the Black Masking Indians continue to thrive in New Orleans with the most iconic being Super Sunday. Most outsiders stand in awe of Mardi Gras Indians’ elaborate suits, but due to the secrecy of this ritual few understand its origins. Join Tank Ball as she meets Masking Indians and explores one of the most sacred rituals in New Orleans.
Black Masking Mardi Gras Indians is a cultural tradition that originated in New Orleans, where African American men and women dress up in elaborate, handmade suits to parade through the streets on Mardi Gras day, Super Sunday, and other festive occasions. Their suits are adorned with intricate beadwork, feathers, and other embellishments, and are designed to represent different themes or characters. The Mardi Gras Indians also engage in ceremonial battles or "run-ins" with other tribes, showcasing their creativity, craftsmanship, and community pride. This tradition is believed to have some roots in cultural expressions from many African and Caribbean societies as well as the history of enslaved Africans and Native Americans in Louisiana, who formed alliances and shared cultural practices in resistance to colonial oppression.
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In Ritual, Grammy-nominated musician Tank Ball journeys through the long-held rituals and traditions of the South. From the widely-shared to the deeply personal, rituals define a community's relationship between the past and present, and their resonance in the collective regional consciousness.
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Black America is so beautiful! All over the land, city to city, state to state, my people doing beautiful thangs🖤. Love and respect to the Black Masking Indians down 'neh in New Orleans!
LOVE THIS!!!
Black is not a nationality. Stop signing paperwork saying black. It's not a nationality. I am washitaw al Moroccan and i have my own birth record on file with social security not their fake birth certificate bond
But thank you we love our brethren even those who ignorantly identify as black american due to miseducation by the US board of education
obviously it’s not a nationality, it’s a race and and ethnicity. learn the difference. secondly, it is absolutely fine to be referred to as that because we’ve been in America long enough to build this country and black Americans are a new people, with it’s own traditions and culture. just because it’s not “ethnic” enough doesn’t mean it lacks impact. we are black American!
Quick question have you ever travelled out of the Americas?
This gave me chills❤ I truly believe we carry the knowledge of our ancestors in our dna.
My Irish grandmother called it "blood memory". She used the say "the blood always remembers."
Of course we do! Don't be afraid to visit them...they are on the other side,the spirit realm..tap in❤️♠️💚
Tap in Tap in TAP IN
Follow your heart. Go with ya gut.
KNOW THYSELF
Wonder why they did it in the French/Spanish quarter where a lot of natives died and they blood were spill
Same!
These women are excellent teachers. I feel like I'm in the 1st grade sitting on the floor with my legs crossed listening to the teacher read a book that has totally captivated me. This makes me so proud. ❤✊🏾🕉
Yessss!❤
Yes I love it and will share ‼️🫶🏽🤎so glad to here others shout the truth
That part
Ikr??? I love this!
I’m so proud to be a descendant of Louisiana people. We are special folks.
Me too proud Louisiana Creole.
This is the first I've ever heard of this but I promise, my soul recognized that chant! What a powerful tradition!
Same, I got chill bumps !
HBO highlighted this in the series “Treme”
Epigenetic memory
A culture of resistance, a culture of defiance, a culture of creative and just simply beautiful
I am A Trinidadian Mardigrasse is a big thing. Carnival. It’s our culture. I will visit NewOrelen
Shh don’t let these blk Americans hear you saying that. You didn’t know they created everything! It’s this blk lady can’t remember her name right now that use to come to the Caribbean & Brazil to teach them back in blk America. Wasn’t Haitians in NO that would explain the costumes.
Naw Haitian wasn’t there it’s just that the French Colonized New Orleans at a point in time that’s why people out there speak creole Haitians came later after they became free men but this is very much a black American tradition
Correction indigenous American a.k.a. people of color out of America and I’m Caribbean I was just in Trinidad carnival February 2023 but we don’t give America enough credit
Nothing to do with trinidad
Our Black-LaLwizyànan culture here in New Orleans don't have anything to do with Trinidadians (Caribbeans) nor with the island of Trinidad. So stop trying to tether y'allselves onto our richly-unique Black-LaLwizyànan ethnic group's culture here in Louisiana.⚜️❤🖤💛🔱
When I went down to experience Mardi gras and saw the black Indians I was full of emotion its the only place in the U.S that I've witnessed Black Men have cultural pride singing, dancing speaking in the spirit of the ancestors. WHEN YOU SEE THAT YOU FEEL THAT spirit too like something comes over you, like in church catching the holy ghost
💃🏾🤴🏾👸🏾🌳💥
You felt the truth.
Glad people are recognizing we native black indians have been innerstand about who we are and most importantly we didn't come from Africa but been here.
Same! I loved the culture Soo much that I relocated there AFTER Katrina and created some of the best memories in my life! Went to every second line, every super Sunday, every plantation tour anywhere I could find them! Tons of photos with the Indians.
@@veebaby5537💖 I did as well 5 months after my 1st mardi gras. I only moved away because my father got sick
The only place? You must not get out much.
Love my Afro-American roots. Our culture is so diverse (North, South, East, West). We’re just a beautiful people. Don’t nobody got nothing on us. Run it! 💗
As a AA with Choctaw ancestry everytime I see this parade I feel a sense of pride.
Same!! I wish l would have been taught more about that part of my culture.
Why? Explain, please.
Choctaw was one of the 5 civilized tribes who practiced chattel slavery….Be careful claiming that.
Beautiful segment. 504 Pride!! N.O. is like no other place. Our culture is unmatched worldwide. 💪🏿
NO PLACE ON EARTH IS LIKE NEW ORLEANS
I love Nola! Was hooked my first visit.
Love the city my home town remember all my youth going to the celebrations of culture.
Being Cherokee Indian, this video gives me so much pride🔥
How when 22 million were killed off. So many claiming Cherokee. There weren't enough Native Americans to reproduce or repopulate the tribes!
My daddy's Creole from Lake Providence, Louisana my mama, an Afro-indigenous Puerto Rican, this gives me chills. I love my people.
My papa from Lake Providence too. Hey cousin 😅❤
My mom is a New Orleans creole with family from Evangeline Parish, my father is from Jamaica. They never allow me to forget African roots.
It's amazing to see how much history and how many different traditions and cultures exists within New Orleans.
TruDat!
I love how indigenous American, Various African, Carribean, and Black American cultures have blended into this flamboyant celebration of ancestors! A defiance of oppression! My ancestors have roots in Louisiana and new Orleans! So this is special to me! I really would have loved to hear more about the connections to the indigenous culture of the area and the obvious link there is with the tradition. So many times the indigenous culture gets obscured by time especially when you consider how genocide has erased the members of the tribe with Black ancestry by not allowing them to be both, and only Black. And trust it's a lot of us out here with deep native indigenous roots in this land, and from a few tribes!
Carribean?? African?? Knock it off.
Not everybody with ancestry in Louisiana has ties to this culture or to this tribe. Louisiana was full of different cultures just like how not everybody is creole.
stop trying to draw similarity with the Caribbean and the whole continent of africa you black American's are so pathetic and self hating thier are no simularities.
@@denisebycapricorn have you studied the history of new Orleans baby? As much as New Orleans is American, it was a port of entry for french America for a long time!. After enslaved African people were weathered in st.dominique, otherwise known as Haiti/Dominican republic, some of those enslaved African people were brought into new Orleans. And from there to other places in the south. That's why Haiti has a connection to new Orleans. And when France lost Haiti and the Louisiana purchase a lot of those people came to Louisiana, so stop acting like there's no connection to Africa or the Carribean. There are clear connections. I'm not saying that the culture is from those places but there are some influences. This is all well documented history available to all. And most indigenous tribes have influences from outside. Quit tripping. Maybe you have a problem with being of African ancestry?
@@ashi4274 okay your point>
ONCE YOU'RE ACTIVATED AND YOU REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.... THE OLD YOU IS HISTORY.... BECAUSE THE NEW YOU is so elevated nothing can stop you.... LOVE IT
I cant hear indian red without crying either. I miss my home, new orleans.
Wow! I'd never heard of this celebration (never been to New Orleans, unfortunately). This is an amazing celebration, and the costumes are out of this world! I wish the video had been longer and had delved a little deeper into the Native American connections. This makes me want more!
th-cam.com/video/-b7Gg_A3_XQ/w-d-xo.html
This video could be very informative and helpful to your deeper study.
I'm so proud of being from New Orleans, My Culture, My city and our way of life
@@tmariethatsme8170 I represent that city everywhere I go...been doing that since a youngan and gone continue until the day I die
The diverse cultures in New Orleans are so rich, deep and sacred that i can't wait to experience many aspects of the beautiful Crescent City in person. I've never even been to New Orleans and it's one of my favourite places in the world. Thank you for bringing this beautiful culture and it's traditions to us, Tank. You did a gorgeous job covering this. Blessings to you and the wonderful Black Masking Indians for allowing us to have a peek into their world and culture. Also shout out to the wonderful Bondy Blue for introducing me and so many of her viewers to so many aspects of the traditions, cultures and history of her rich city!
In all my years I have never known such a wonderful experience was occurring. This is important to culture and history. Thank you.
Gotta come to New Orleans..
@@tmariethatsme8170 I’ve never been to Mardi Gras (although I have been to Nola), and I knew about this since I was a child in the 80’s. I’m no longer impressed by willful ignorance.
I’m showing love to New Orleans from Mobile, Alabama.... much love 🤝
Loved this & Tank is the perfect host of this program. Thank you for sharing the stories of this beloved tradition & may all the Indians be the prettiest! They are true artists!
I enjoy New Orleans' cultures! 🇺🇲
My father grew up in an Afro- Cuban religion called Abaqua. They have dancces where they would dress up as saints and ghosts "Irime" (ee-ree-meh) and danced around a fire during carnival in cuba.
My father still speaks the toungue and will sing his songs when he is in a good mood.
..
The pendulum is swinging back to nature. Unity through consciousness 🧠
NATURE Never Lies
LAND Never Dies
- unVAX'd
Yes yes yes We Here 💖🌻
Unity Consciousness
Peace Love & Power 💞
That's so dope and interesting. I'm from Florida and in Florida we mixed and fought with natives to not be sent to reservations. I wish we had preserved these types traditions in Florida.
The entire video..........OUTSTANDING. Your hairdresser is KILLING IT (Chefs Kiss)..
Came from Michigan for Super Sunday this year. It was awesome. The costumes are beautiful. The people, the spirit of the people is amazing. This is a tradition that I hope never disappears.
Bring it to Michigan frfr you black American this your culture
If it’s indigenous, then wouldn’t the correct term be regalia rather than “costume”? The term costume is derogatory to indigenous peoples. One persons culture is not another persons costume. This is not Halloween.
As a Trinidadian, our carnival has a Super Sunday event for the Calypso competition. The costume competition starts the next day for 2 days
Tank is sooo good at this! Keep them coming 😊
Yes, yes. With that AMAZING voice!!
She is amazing!!!
New Orleans and Trinidad and Tobago need to do a cultural exchange together. We have so much in common. Black Indian "Mas" is a major part of Trinidadian Carnival culture. The original inhabitants of the Caribbean also united with Africans that were brought over as slaves.
No we don't. Go worry about your little island. Black Americans in NOLA are great without you.
Tank's voice is like honey.
Awesome mini-documentary! I could listen to this all day! Much love from north of “the boot “(Shreveport)! I love our culture so much!
I adore New Orleans! It’s my favorite city in the US. I miss living there. ❤⚜️
I miss Super Sunday 🖤💜 best Sunday of the year. What a beautiful & needed series!
I hate how short this was but LOVED every minute of it! Makes me proud to see some of my heritage! 🪶
Thank you, I got chills watching this. In from Barbados but New Orleans has always felt like home to me I love the culture so much.
This just filled me up!
Thank y'all sooo much for highlighting this Black American Southern tradition! So, so rich!
🇺🇸
Not "American southern" tradition. This is creole Louisiana tradition. We are an island all our own 🌱
Thanks for sharing this. As someone living outside of New Orleans I've never heard of this before.
Ive always loved seeing the Black Masking Indians costumes. Such talent.
Not from New Orleans but have always been intrigued by the culture, the closeness and nature of the city but more for the Indian culture. Great interview 💯
Thank you, Tank, for hosting this program. Folks need to know about ALL the rich history and culture of the beautiful city of New Orleans.
Is she from Tank & The Bangas?
@@Sunshann she is
@@brendamcd704 my Mom LOVES them! Took her to see Tank & Trombone Shorty last summer! We had a time!! I love New Orleans
I remember learning about the Black Masking Indians from Les Blank's documentary "Always for Pleasure." It's so wonderful to see that this tradition is still alive and strong in New Orleans.
Wow! I’m not even finished with the video and I am welling up with tears. This is beautiful!!!
Not black , not Indian but indigenous. So beautiful .🎉
🏹
And Aboriginal to the continent and planet
Long way ...aka Indiana.. professional
I know you're trying to be inclusive but this makes no sense. They can be black indigenous people.
@@pureone8350civics 101. black is a color not a people. stop trying to de-nationalize people by calling them crayon colors. people have nationalities and tribal affiliations not crayon names.
This is so beautiful. My goodness. And the traditions being carried on by the youth. My heart🥰
This is so beautiful!.. I am getting emotional just watching this video. We are beautiful and so strong and I am so happy to see a culture/tradition not lost by the hands of the oppressors. I hope to one day go to this parade.. thank you for sharing this video❤
Her voice is beautiful ❤❤
The host has the easiest to listen to voice ever! There's a level of interest and actual empathy when she speaks. Literally watching this program all day today! Love our many louisiana heritages and how they bind us together!
Showing love from a Gullah girl ❤
I’m from Charleston, SC
@@glenngadson5844 From S.Carolina as well 🌴
It’s true that a lot of screen time is a frivolous waste. But screen time can also teach, and give knowledge that is found nowhere else. I have learned so much watching this. And I’m grateful, thank you for bringing this incredible truth to me.
Well written, well edited, well done! Loved all. I’ve lived in New Orleans and never knew the history of Indian masking.
I am loving this series. I have learned so much. Please continue to make more wonderful content. Thank you!! Cheers!!
So much to learn and so interesting at the same time period I actually wouldn't mind a second video on this exact same subject
Aaaaahhh Tank Ball!!!! Love love love yer musica!!! Saw ju live years ahgo with Big Freedia ! Such a wonderful veedeo! Love new Orleans 😍😍😍
This is interesting... it's given Gullah Gullah Island I love it
Every time there’s a video of New Orleans culture, someone always mention Gullah…
So Beautiful how they included their powerful Native American culture and fought for the right to represent it up intil this day!!!
Thank you for sharing some of "our" rich and beautiful history and heritage that I did not know existed until just now. I am "BLESSED" beyond my ability to adequately express or articulate. There is joy in my heart! 😮
I have chills and want to cry! So beautiful
This was DOPE! can’t wait to share this with my students ✊🏾💯
😊 ALRIGHT NOW... 👍
❤ DATS Natural New Orleans...
" On Dat Morning!"...
"Pretty, Pretty"...
Generational! Carnival, Mardi Gra New Orleans Indians' Culture
"Chic a Ma' Phe no"
... "Watch years of resistance manifest as creativity" That's profound! That's Our Family/Our Tradition!
Thank you for this informative video on black-masking Indians and Super Sunday. The family was fantastic...holding up their traditions. Both interviews were good, of course, and informative.
👍💯⭐
Loved this, and having Tank host is brilliant!
WOW! This is so secret that growing up not far from New Orleans and I had no idea. Now that I live 3000 miles away I am learning so much! That's so sad. My husband's grandfather was Ojibway, and back when he was a young man he had to tell people he was Italian to get a job because in Boston MA, there were too many "NO INDIANS" signs on doors. What is wrong with people?? A person should be able to display the beauties of their heritage with everyone! Thank you so very much for sharing this!!!
This is so beautiful. I am reminded as to how African American culture is similar to continental Africa in many ways.
The reason New Orleans is so connected is because during slavery times, Black people were still able to gather in Congo Square and have African dance and drumming celebrations, along with selling goods and food. The connection to Africa never stopped.
Not African American culture. Louisiana culture. We are an island all our own 🌱
A lot of the costumes reminds me of the Carnival costume from Haiti back in the 30’s and 40’s.
My heart is full! We are a prideful people with big hearts! NOLA ❤💯‼️
There needs to be a museum for them. I went to the little house in Tremé that houses the past ones but it needs to be repaired and or everything placed in a museum for proper display.
Culture appropriation is stealing from, then not recognizing who it came from and mocking. The Mardi Gras Indians are paying homage to the Native Americans of Louisiana and the African Americans. They are doing the exact opposite of cultural appropriation . We can’t compare this to wearing a Indian costume on Halloween or wearing a Indian head dress during Coachella whereas they wear costumes just because and by the end of the day it’s over with. The Mardi Gras Indians on the other hand have a cultural tradition that days back to the 1800s as mentioned in this video and a whole history behind this tradition. And not to mention the dedication to working on their outfits that takes all year to produce and the community and family thats connected as mentioned in this video. I advise everyone to watch more videos on this topic.
Its kind odd tho Mardi gras has no real significance to native American indigenous culture nor Africa its origins actually stems from Europe by feasting and doing as much "sin" on celebrating good Friday. It's actually blasphemous. People like to believe what they want to and others will easily fall for it that's how guilable some people are.
@@CRAZY4BEINGCRAZY i think we should see how the holiday has become to be for the diasporas in the Americas. Many “European” holidays have become uniquely American with their meaning to the inhabitants that differs from its origins
@@CRAZY4BEINGCRAZY Right and I think she was touching on that given they weren't allowed to participate in it. To your point, I dont know if people actually pointedly ask about the history of Mardi Gras and who it was intended for. This would be true of just about anything folk celebrate until the real teaching comes along. The same could be said about most holidays that Christians celebrate that over the past 20 years or so are now being called pagan such as Christmas, Easter and New Years. The original Greco- Roman intent of these are now being discussed.
Tank was a Perfect representative and narrator for this! Keep NOLA alive for now and forever
When they sang indian red i felt shivers dis is amazing
Wonderful job ladies, thank you for sharing. Also, the interviewer did a wonderful job, very elegant and well-spoken👏🏾
Wonderful tradition we should know this world wide
My grandfather mass India I just can't believe on this post so many people don't even know about this culture All it does she fail to leave out is My grandfather was black India indigenous to his land
This was so incredibly amazing to watch! So happy that this tradition/ ritual is still celebrated and that young people are so involved! Stand proud, remember your history and chant from your soul!
That chat gave me chills. That chant is familiar to me, they used to close out church service with that chant when I was a child. I knew it word for word, this my first time hearing it in years. We are all connected
The African Americans today honor the Native Indigenous as Black Indians but many of these people are descendants of the various Native Indian tribes throughout Louisiana.
Such a beautiful family. The young chief is so handsome.
Love it💞 My dad is from New Orleans much respect to our beautiful culture.
This is so good!!!🎉🎉🎉🏆🏆🏆
So interesting, gave me goose bumps! Keep on going ❤
The origin of the tradition is with us cause we’ve been here since before everybody else, according to the archaeological record🙌🏾 mighty funny how we all have that same tradition all the way down through the Caribbean, Central, and South America
Absolutely Beautiful! The true Indian!
This was a beautiful tutorial for our history.❤💜
I got royalty got loyalty inside my dna
👏🏽 I’m so happy. Thank you for the history
IYKYK‼️❤️💯The Big Queen
Everyone in this video is a gem to our city!!!
And the Babydolls come out on Mardi Gras and All the Super Sundays!!!! ❤❤❤
BEAUTIFUL, JUST BEAUTIFUL AND FEELING SO PROUD OF THE PARENTS TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN THE CULTURE ❤❤❤
Before the Louisiana purchase, before the slaves ships came, the Choctaw indians was living in huts built on the water. The Indians even told the land developers of new Orleans not to build there because of the water and it would flood the city.
😯😮😯😮Wow...
Absolutely in tears of joy, being a great grand child of the Blackfoot tribe only reaffirms my love for the WHOLE New Orleans Indian culture ❤🙏🏽
I got chills 🤗 and watery eyes 🥰 I absolutely love my culture ❤ thanks for sharing!
This is beautiful and breathtaking. I love that the people there in New Orleans continue to embrace there culture.
This is so great to see. I’m a Philadelphia area native. The mummers are the equivalent in my region. But it was formed mostly from Italian and Irish immigrants celebrating the New Year because they wanted to. I love that these Mardi Gras Indians did this because they weren’t allowed to. How special and important to keep that tradition going.
It's was crazy out there for Easter this year
Nfr= beautiful
Ntr= Divine
Mer= love /cultivating
Twi= thank you
Meriti= beloved
New Orleans … you find me, I find you! 💛❤️👏🏽
This was nice. Thank you for this video 🙏🏾🌼🌸🌺