Big Chief Alfred Doucette teaching in the Positive Vibrations Foundation Salon Series

Big Chief Alfred Doucette Salon // "Strange Fruit" Indian Suit and Katrina Story from Positive Vibrations Foundation on Vimeo.


Big Chief Alfred Doucette Salon // Cost of Indian Suits from Positive Vibrations Foundation on Vimeo.


Big Chief Alfred Doucette // History of Violence Among Indians from Positive Vibrations Foundation on Vimeo.


For the past two summers, Flaming Arrows Big Chief Alfred Doucette has served as part of the faculty of the Positive Vibrations Foundation fellowship program that brings young musicians from across the world to spend the summer studying music and culture in New Orleans.

In collaboration with the Canary Collective, the Positive Vibrations Foundation records and shares video of its "Salon Series" conversations and musical encounters with New Orleans musicians and culture bearers, including Guardians of the Flame percussionist Luther Gray, and Congo Nation Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jr.

Year in Review: Wild Magnolias Big Chief Bo Dollis, Senior named 2011 National Heritage Fellow

Wild Magnolias Big Chief Bo Dollis, Senior on Mardi Gras Day 2009 (Photo by Derek Bridges)

In July, the National Endowment of the Arts recognized the life work of Wild Magnolias Big Chief Bo Dollis, Senior by naming him as a National Heritage Fellow for 2011.

In 2009, Offbeat Magazine honored the Big Chief with its Best of the Beat Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music. Learn more about Wild Magnolias Big Chief Bo Dollis, Senior and the influence of his art and leadership via this series of video interviews produced on that occasion by the Loyola University Center for Music and Arts Entrepreneurship.



Press play to watch 2009 Offbeat Magazine "Best of the Beat Lifetime Achievement Award video

Black Feather Big Chief Lionel Delpit has become an ancestor

The Mardi Gras Indian Nation celebrated the life of Black Feather Big Chief Lionel Delpit in New Orleans,  Saturday, July 16, 2011. Photo by Michael Luke for WWL-TV.

After a long and courageous battle with several health issues, Black Feather Big Chief Lionel Delpit became an ancestor on July 7, 2011.

Big Chief Delpit started masking as a member of the Yellow Pocahontas group before establishing the Black Feather in 1992. He was known for his elaborate three-dimensional suits, spirited dancing, and soulful singing. He performed as part of numerous events throughout his lifetime, as local as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and as far away as a festival in Martinique. Recently, he was one of the Big Chiefs honored as part of the City of New Orleans Katrina V commemoration. He appeared in Season One of the HBO series Tremé in the scene in which real Big Chiefs join "Big Chief Albert Lambreaux" in singing "Indian Red" at the home of his Wild Man who perished in Katrina.

Memorial Indian practices/community processions will be held daily on the corner of Frenchmen and North Robertson Streets until the funeral.

Trouble Nation Big Chief Markeith Tero is serving as the funeral liaison for the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame.
 
All condolences to Big Chief Delpit's family, gang members, and friends.

Funeral for Big Chief Lionel Delpit


Friday, July 15, 2011
6-8 pm Visitation

Professional Funeral Services
1620 Elysian Fields Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70117


Saturday, July 16, 2011
9:00 am Visitation
10:00 am Service
Followed by a traditional Mardi Gras Indian funeral ritual and procession

Abiding Faith Temple
2501 Urquhart St.
New Orleans, LA 70117

Big Chief Delpit's feature obituary in the New Orleans Times-Picayune

 Photo essay on Big Chief Delpit's Funeral Processsion
(Photos by Michael Luke for WWL-TV)

 New Orleans Times-Picayune coverage of Big Chief Delpit's funeral

Louisiana Weekly: "Lionel Delpit, icon of the Mardi Gras Indian
community, dies at age 54"

Offbeat: Big Chief Lionel Delpit Funeral Procession Photos
(Photos by Kim Welsh for Offbeat) 

Roll Call of 2011 Honorees and Invitation to the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Memorial, Induction, and Awards Ceremony

The Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame invites you to the 2011 Memorial, Induction, and Awards Ceremony.

Please plan to join us 4:00 - 5:30 pm Sunday, August 7, 2011 at Ashe Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana.

The annual Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame program highlights the role of Big Chiefs, all Mardi Gras Indians, and those who assist in supporting the tradition.

Former Haley Elementary School principal Dr. Roslyn J. Smith put it beautifully when she said, "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."

We hope that you are able to join us for this very special Sunday afternoon in New Orleans.

2011 Crystal Feather Award Honorees

Chiefs' Choice

Big Chief Romeo Bougere

Ninth Ward Hunters

Queens' Choice

Queen Mercy Stevenson

Wild Tchopitoulas

Special Recognition Awards

Jan "Mojo Mouth" Ramsey

Scribe Award

Barbara Lacen-Keller

Community Supporter Award

Big Chief Clarence Dalcour

Creole Osceolas

2011 Peace Chief

(Recognized for ceremonial release of doves to promote peace in our city)

Big Chief Brian Nelson
Keeper of the Flame Movie
Capturing the Spirit Award

State Senator Cynthia Willard-Lewis

Honorary Ambassador Queen

Jo Cool Davis

Living Musical Heritage Award

Jeffrey David Ehrenreich

Capturing the Flash

Photographers' Award

Andrew Wiseman

Drumbeat Award

Anastasia Shaw

Outstanding Volunteer

Benjamin Mark

Outstanding Youth Volunteer

Jordan Hirsch

Service Award

For more information please call 504.214.6630 0r 504.231.5780.

Save the date for the 2011 Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Ceremonies

Save the Date!

2011 Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame
Memorial, Induction and Awards Ceremony

Sunday, August 7, 2011
Ashe Cultural Arts Center
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

For additional information please call, 504-214-6630

1999 - First Ceremony

First Annual Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame
Induction and Awards Ceremony

March 19, 1999 at Oretha Castle Haley Elementary School

Haley School principal, Roslyn J. Smith presents
First Crystal Feather Award to
Big Chief Rudy Bougere, Sr.

Big Chiefs Clarence Dalcour and Victor Harris
teach Oretha Castle Haley School kindergarten
students, Two-Way-Pockey-Way

Book Presentations

Big Chief and Big Queen Book Club - Presentation Ceremony
December 14, 2006
Albert Wicker Elementary School



Big Chiefs Clarence Dalcour, Markeith Tero, Gerald Paige,
and James Brown

Guardians of the Flame Big Chief Brian Nelson
and Big Chiefs Carl Reed, James Brown, Markeith Tero,
Clarence Dalcour, and Gerald Paige

Creole Osceola Big Chief Clarence Dalcour and
Carrollton Hunter Big Chief Carl Reed


Trouble Nation Big Chief Markeith Tero presents books to
Wicker School Third Graders


Albert Wicker Elementary School Principal Ella Lewis and Barbara Lacen-Keller from
City Councilwoman Stacey Head's Office

2006 Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Crystal Feather Honorees' Reception

Big Chief Eugene Junior Thomas and Wild Man Jaime Loco Cooper
of the White Eagles

Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Inductees with
Uncle Lionel Batiste

Big Chiefs Gerard Lil Bo Dollis, Clarence Delco Dalcour, and Alfred Doucette

White Eagles Big Chief Eugene Junior Thomas
and Uncle Lionel Batiste


Drummers Benny Jones, Sr. of the Treme Brass Band and
Luther Gray of Bambouls 2000


Big Chief Thomas Sparks
Yellow Jackets


Retired Big Chief Edwin Harrison, Sr. of the Creole Wild West
and Cherice Harrison-Nelson

2006 Honorees
Back Row: Lauren Anderson, Al Morris, Rita Johnson
Front Row: Cyril Six/Iron Horse Green, and Jaime Loco Cooper


Pall Unveiling
Chief Isaac Ike Edwards
White Eagles Co-Founder

Herreast J. Harrison and Wild Man Jaime Loco Cooper of the White Eagles

Listen: "New-Way-Pockey-Way"

Click here to listen to "New-Way-Pockey-Way"
by Young Guardians of the Flame.

Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Ceremony Scheduled

Eighth Annual

Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame
Induction and Awards Ceremony


Little Chief Christian Smith and Flag Boy George Smith,Jr. of Congo Nation with Big Chief Ray Blazio of Wild Apache and Guests

Backstreet Cultural Arts Museum

Sunday, August 13, 2006

4-5 p.m.

For additional information contact, Cherice Harrison-Nelson at 504-214-6630.

Welcome to the new Mardi Gras Indians website!

Jaime Wild Man Loco Cooper

2004 Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Photo by Jeffery Ehrenreich

Mardi Gras Indians have been scattered by Hurricanes Katrina & Rita, but are still beading, masking and regrouping to bring our powerful cultural community home.

This website will feature photos, music, news and information about how to support the artists who keep Mardi Gras Indian traditions vibrant.