Mon, Feb 16th 2009, 10:44
New Orleans is braced for the most important event on their social calendar … February 24 marks Fat Tuesday and the highlight of Mardi Gras fever.
Mardi Gras will see its collection of bizarre and colourfully dressed groups, or krewes, parading through the streets of New Orleans. The krewes have been preparing their themes and costumes for months already and now they are ready to take to the streets. The ranks within the krewe are organised as a parody of royal titles, with king, queen, knights and dukes.
The Mardi Gras Indians are a krewe that has paraded in New Orleans since the mid-19th Century. Traditionally the members were African-Americans sidelined by the main Mardi Gras parade. In the days of racial segregation in New Orleans, the Indians held their own processions dressed up in elaborate costumes in the style of Native American Indian ceremonial dress. The Indian theme paid homage to the Native Americans who offered refuge to slaves who escaped in search of freedom.
The Indian Krewes are organised into traditional tribal roles like chief, spy boy, flag boy and medicine man. The Chief directs the route of the parade, a guarded secret until then. Nobody knows where to expect the parades and the spy boy strides out ahead of the krewe, signalling to the chief when rival Indian tribes are spotted. The Chief uses a series of practiced signals to communicate to the troupe, a combination of whooping, hand movements and dance moves. The flag boy carries the tribe standard and uses it to communicate between the spy boy and the chief.
Click here to view the Mardis Gras Parade Schedule
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