MiA for Educators Page
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Note to Educators: This is the beginning of our now ongoing project of gathering Mardi Gras and New Orleans resources for teachers. We have tried to stay away from commercial websites, however as web pages change daily we would recommend checking each link before directly giving any link to students. If you have a link or lesson plan that you think should be added please send your ideas to director@musicisart.org.
History of Mardi Gras
To most of America, Mardi Gras in New Orleans means a wild party in the streets, where revelers enjoy drinking, dancing and debauchery among the flung beads. That certainly does happen, but in New Orleans history, Mardi Gras has meant much more than that...
A video from National Geographic Kids on the origin and history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/history-kids/mardi-gras-kids.html
A written history from the Louisiana Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism:
http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/online_exhibits/Mardi_Gras_Carnival_Time/history.aspx
A Diversity of Celebrations in New Orleans and Louisiana
With New Orleans mixture of Caribbean, Spanish, African, Native and French influences, New Orleans' Mardi Gras adopted the traditions of many cultures and hold many different kinds of celebrations.
Who are the Mardi Gras Indians?
They don't only appear on Mardi Gras, and they're not really Indians...
African Americans, who were not invited to Mardi Gras celebrations, created their own Carnival rituals. Mardi Gras Indians began appearing in the late 19th century; the first group was the Creole Wild West from the Seventh Ward. One of New Orleans' more unique sights is that of two Mardi Gras Indian tribes facing off on a street corner. The Indians are said to be a way for African Americans to pay tribute to Native Americans who helped their slave ancestors escape their masters. New Orleans is home to dozens of Mardi Gras Indian tribes, who each have their own special chain of command and who spend an entire year working on their elaborate feathered and beaded costumes, each of which is worn only once during Mardi Gras season. When two tribes encounter each other, a ritualized, theatrical performance full of chanting, singing, dancing, and bluster ensues.
Check out this link to PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/tsr/new-orleans-been-in-the-storm-too-long/mardi-gras-indians-battling-on-st-josephs-night/
The Zulu Krewe
In a little more than 150 years, named Zulu, after the African tribe, it is said to have been founded in mocking response to the highfalutin Rex parades. In 1949, the Zulu Krewe was the first to crown a celebrity king, Louis Armstrong. And while it expereienced a period of profound unpopularity among socially-minded African Americans in the 1960s - Zulu parade participants wore blackface - it effectively integrated Mardi Gras when its parade rolled down New Orleans' main throughfares. Previously, it had been limited to back streets in black neighborhoods. Today, the Zulu Krewe, which rolls on Fat Tuesday, puts on one of the season's most popular parades.
From the Louisiana State Museum:
http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/online_exhibits/zulu/exhibit/html/tramps.html
A great slideshow of the Zulu parade past and present from the NY Times
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/travel/escapes/13Zulu.html?pagewanted=all
Cajun Mardi-Gras
Cajun Mardi Gras explained: Wilson Savoy on the costumes, music, masks: We pay homage to the traditions of our ancestors, since they were running Mardi Gras 60 years ago just like we are now. The runners go from house to house and ask permission to enter the yard of the home owner. They dance and entertain the owners and in exchange they ask for anything to contribute to the run, usually ingredient to make a gumbo at the end of the day (rice, chickens, sausage, flour, etc.)
http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2011/06/cajun_mardi_gras_explained_wil.html
http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/cjn_wom_mg.html
This article introduces Courir de Mardi Gras and the Mardi Gras Indians
http://austenauthors.net/the-mardi-gras-chronicles%E2%80%94-of-courir-and-indians
A Family Event
Native New Orleans despise the reputations, and rarely venture into the Quarter during Carnival season. See this slideshow from Time Magazine, warning there are pop-out ads.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1881375,00.html#ixzz1ihKVow7f
Note to Educators: This is the beginning of our now ongoing project of gathering Mardi Gras and New Orleans resources for teachers. We have tried to stay away from commercial websites, however as web pages change daily we would recommend checking each link before directly giving any link to students. If you have a link or lesson plan that you think should be added please send your ideas to director@musicisart.org.
History of Mardi Gras
To most of America, Mardi Gras in New Orleans means a wild party in the streets, where revelers enjoy drinking, dancing and debauchery among the flung beads. That certainly does happen, but in New Orleans history, Mardi Gras has meant much more than that...
A video from National Geographic Kids on the origin and history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/history-kids/mardi-gras-kids.html
A written history from the Louisiana Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism:
http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/online_exhibits/Mardi_Gras_Carnival_Time/history.aspx
A Diversity of Celebrations in New Orleans and Louisiana
With New Orleans mixture of Caribbean, Spanish, African, Native and French influences, New Orleans' Mardi Gras adopted the traditions of many cultures and hold many different kinds of celebrations.
Who are the Mardi Gras Indians?
They don't only appear on Mardi Gras, and they're not really Indians...
African Americans, who were not invited to Mardi Gras celebrations, created their own Carnival rituals. Mardi Gras Indians began appearing in the late 19th century; the first group was the Creole Wild West from the Seventh Ward. One of New Orleans' more unique sights is that of two Mardi Gras Indian tribes facing off on a street corner. The Indians are said to be a way for African Americans to pay tribute to Native Americans who helped their slave ancestors escape their masters. New Orleans is home to dozens of Mardi Gras Indian tribes, who each have their own special chain of command and who spend an entire year working on their elaborate feathered and beaded costumes, each of which is worn only once during Mardi Gras season. When two tribes encounter each other, a ritualized, theatrical performance full of chanting, singing, dancing, and bluster ensues.
Check out this link to PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/tsr/new-orleans-been-in-the-storm-too-long/mardi-gras-indians-battling-on-st-josephs-night/
The Zulu Krewe
In a little more than 150 years, named Zulu, after the African tribe, it is said to have been founded in mocking response to the highfalutin Rex parades. In 1949, the Zulu Krewe was the first to crown a celebrity king, Louis Armstrong. And while it expereienced a period of profound unpopularity among socially-minded African Americans in the 1960s - Zulu parade participants wore blackface - it effectively integrated Mardi Gras when its parade rolled down New Orleans' main throughfares. Previously, it had been limited to back streets in black neighborhoods. Today, the Zulu Krewe, which rolls on Fat Tuesday, puts on one of the season's most popular parades.
From the Louisiana State Museum:
http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/online_exhibits/zulu/exhibit/html/tramps.html
A great slideshow of the Zulu parade past and present from the NY Times
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/travel/escapes/13Zulu.html?pagewanted=all
Cajun Mardi-Gras
Cajun Mardi Gras explained: Wilson Savoy on the costumes, music, masks: We pay homage to the traditions of our ancestors, since they were running Mardi Gras 60 years ago just like we are now. The runners go from house to house and ask permission to enter the yard of the home owner. They dance and entertain the owners and in exchange they ask for anything to contribute to the run, usually ingredient to make a gumbo at the end of the day (rice, chickens, sausage, flour, etc.)
http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2011/06/cajun_mardi_gras_explained_wil.html
http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/cjn_wom_mg.html
This article introduces Courir de Mardi Gras and the Mardi Gras Indians
http://austenauthors.net/the-mardi-gras-chronicles%E2%80%94-of-courir-and-indians
A Family Event
Native New Orleans despise the reputations, and rarely venture into the Quarter during Carnival season. See this slideshow from Time Magazine, warning there are pop-out ads.
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1881375,00.html#ixzz1ihKVow7f