Photography By Timothy D. Lace
As a photographer documenting multicultural life in New Orleans, I became fascinated with the costuming and beadwork that celebrates the connection between African American and Indian American traditions. These Mardi Gras Indians are Black men and women, many of whom also identify with Native American Nations. They craft their annual “suits” for Mardi Gras by stitching “patches” of beaded imagery that are then assembled with ruffles and dyed feathers. They parade on the backstreets of New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day and St. Joseph’s Day in groups they call “tribes” or “gangs” playing roles as Big Chief, Big Queen, Spy Boy, Flag Boy and more. These activities are distinct from the traditional parades which move down Canal, St. Charles and other main streets in the city. The award-winning article, Freedom and Cultural Consciousness: Black Working-Class Parades in Post-Katrina New Orleans (2013) by Diane Grams, Ph.D., features some of my photos in its exploration of the Mardi Gras Indians and other parading traditions of Black New Orleanians.
TD Lace Photography 