During the time of slavery, when slaves would run away from their slave masters, the Indians would take them in and treat them like their own. The slaves learned the ways of the Indians. And after they were freed, they started dressing like Indians on carnival day to show their appreciation.
When one Mardi Gras Indian tribe meets another during carnival, everyone dances and shows off the costumes they’ve made. Each year, tribes sew new elaborate suits and begin working on them months before carnival season.
Take an in-depth look at Mardi Gras Indians with Thomas Landry, Big Chief of the Geronimo Hunters.
