Program 26: Lesson 23 - A Case Study in The Arts

Faces of Culture - "A Case Study in The Arts"

Narr: Only a fraction of "art" produced in Western society, is made by professional full-time artists.

"Folk art," in contrast, is made by ordinary people, and while it can have great aesthetic merit, it often serves broader purposes. In a multicultural society like our own, one important function is to express ethnicity, and enhance group cohesiveness and solidarity.

In this intensive Case Study, we will examine the unique folk art created by working-class blacks in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

In old New Orleans', black slaves were free on Sundays to sing and dance together in a field called Congo Square. After the slave rebellions of the mid 1800's, blacks were forbidden to assemble except on Mardi Gras. But, they managed to keep their music, dance, and chanting alive by merging them with elements borrowed from the American Indians.

Today, New Orleans' blacks, organized into "Tribes," still gather on Sundays to prepare for Mardi Gras and continue an old tradition.

(Man singing, people dancing.)

"_ Old man rhythm gets in my shoes.
It's no use a'sitting and a'singing the blues.
So be my guest, you got nothing to lose.
Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?
Owee, Owee, Baby
Owee, Owee, Baby
Owee, Owee, Baby
Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?
Feel like jumping, baby, won't you join me please?
I don't like begging, but now I'm on bended kees.
I got to get to rockin', get my hat off the rack.
I got to boogie woogie like a knife in the back.
So be my guest, you got nothing to lose,
Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise?
Owee, Owee, Baby
Owee, Owee, Baby
Owee, Owee, Baby _"

(Music continues)

Narr: To the people of New Orleans, the celebration of Mardi Gras provides a dramatic way of expressing culture through the arts.

Mardi Gras is celebrated on the last day before lent, the period in the christian religion stretching from Ash Wednesday to Easter, which is observed by fasting and penance, and commemorates the Passion of Christ.

Masks and costumes play a central role in the festivities. The choice of which mask...which costume to wear. Reveals much about the person, the group, the culture, and one's perceived position in the community.

If you're white, wealthy, and a member of the elite, you probably belong to one of several secret Mardi Gras clubs called, "Krewes. Krewe of "Rex," Of "Comus" Of "Hermes." You wear costumes patterned on the court of Louis Quatorze, ride in floats, throw trinkets to the mob, similar to the attitude of noblesse oblige of an earlier era.

But, if you're black, working-class, and poor, you must find a new way to bring your own history and traditions to Mardi Gras.

Black Woman: "If you wants to be white today, you can be white today. Superman! Bat man! Robin Hood! You can be anything you want to be today, but, now tomorrow? ...You got to be a nigger tomorrow., cause that's what you is!"

Narr: If you're black, what kind of costume. Which identity do you choose? Many New Orleans' Blacks choose to be American Indians.

Black Costume Maker: "The Indians been here ever since they've been black folk. We masked Indian. There's been a lot attempts by other people to mask the Indian. But, you know, it's a...it's a traditional thing where some of the gangs. Like you hear the names: "White Eagles," "Creole Wild West," "Golden Blades," "Yellow Pocahantas," "Wild Tchoupitoulas." And these names go back, even the songs that they sing, speaking to Indians of men that had masked Indians years before.

And the Mardi Gras Indian here, ah...for instance, if you watch how they go through their whole rehearsal of parades, and what they're doin' is, it's all speaking to the American Indian.

They shave their ah...their faces, rid themselves of all hair on their face. They paint their faces red, and each gang is like a minor phone book, a huge Indian nation. So a lot of tradition involved in it. I don't know, the Mardi Gras Indian is somethin' you just got to be part of... the feeling of what it's all about. It's just part of our heritage.

You sittin' down and you...the tambourines start ringin' up. Some people call it funk, you know, strictly us, second-line to us. Everything that's got that kind of beat is second-line, something to get your blood warmed up and make your feet begin to move, and you start being part of yourself, the real you.

And, the beautiful part about it, is no two people can express themselves the same way. Everyone is aahh...feelin' what they feel. Aahh...And, its all aahh... basically a proud thing and a happy thing. And, it's a sad thing. It's a joyous thing. It's all these things combined."

Narr: A Black Musician, "Professor Longhair," is playing piano and whistling intercut with portraits of Blacks in American costumes.

(Music and singing.)

Narr: Some 30 Black American Indian "Tribes" parade on Mardi Gras. To see them, is to witness one of the finest examples of people's street art, music and theater, that our nation has to offer!

The roots of this tradition go deep into history. Long before the white man came to Louisiana, the territory was inhabited by Indian peoples ...Natches, Choctaw, Houma, Creek, among others.

By 1800, white settlers had stolen much of their land, and many individual members of these tribes had drifted to New Orleans', and taken up residence there.

(Indian chanting in background.)

Narr: In mid-century, they were joined by a surge of Plains Indians, Cherokees who managed to escape the infamous "Trail of Tears," the forced migration of Indians from their lands in the Southeast to a Reservation in Oklahoma.

These Native Americans, who themselves had felt the whip of the white man's oppression, felt a natural compassion for black slaves, "runaways," who lived in hiding in the city. They hid them, gave them shelter. The two groups intermarried. Later, there was additional intermarriage with Blacks, fleeing persecution from Haiti.

A profound affinity developed. The black man admired the red man, appreciated his help and support. It was natural that, as a living symbol of his respect, he would take on the costume, dress, and customs of his brother.

In the 1880s the first Black Indians, members of the newly formed "Creole Wild West," tribe made their appearance, masked and costumed for Mardi Gras.

Today, on Sundays after church, members of New Orleans Black Indian Tribes rehearse for Mardi Gras at neighborhood bars, "White Eagles," "Yellow Pocahontas," "Wild Tchoupitoulas."

(Music and singing.)

Narr: The music has distinctive west African characteristics, including polyrythms, call and response singing, and improvisation. Also present, and reflecting the Haitian influence, is a strong Caribbean flavor.

(Music and singing.)

Narr: The costumes are works of art, weighing upwards of 60 to 100 pounds each, and consisting of hundreds of feathers, and thousands of beads and stones.

The intricate designs are not merely decorative. Frequently, they are symbolic, identifying a particular tribe, and representing events in its history.

They also confer status, and convey a symbolic "strength" or "power" to their wearers, just as they did for American Indians who decorated their clothing and other personal objects, including the weapons and shields they carried into battle.

Only recently in human history, did the concept of "art for art's sake" emerge. Only recently, was art prized
solely for its aesthetic value, placed in a museum to be admired.

For most of human history, art was functional, it was used. The warrior believed he shared the power of the object drawn on his shield. The image became his personal talisman, "the painting, his personal expression."

My shield - "Two bull buffaloes, their medicine."
My shield - "The moon, who came to me in human form, his medicine."
My shield - "The Eagle, his medicine."
He charges from the clouds into the flying bullets.
My shield- "The bear, his medicine."

(Indians chanting in background and singing.)

Narr: This tradition has continued among the Black Indians of New Orleans.

(Dancing and singing.)

Black Costume Maker: "Usually, whenever you keep last year mask, and you supposed to come out in white. And the mask in white, that indicate that...that's your last year. But I'm just using white because I want another color. I done been had about all the colors over and over so many times.

I'm not worried about the idea, cause I know, man I'm loaded with that. I sit there and I could design a costume for everybody in this house. Nar a one going to be the same, altogether different. All different type of people that put an Indian suit on.

Some guys mask just because they like it, and some just want to put a suit on, and that they put it on, maybe one year, and that's it. Well, they're not the type of person like I am.

To my point, this is different than...than a lot of other guys, you see. Just when certain time of year come, you know, I just feel that it's, I'm supposed to start sewing--just like it's a blood thing, got to be, you know."

Black Costume Maker: "Here you're working with these beautiful colors, you know, colors that you like."

(Talking in background.)

"You know. Then you combining these colors to form this design...and this design is gonna represent something, you know, that gonna be something, so, in the cool part of you, you know. And, each one of them saying something different, or relative in design, you know, like patches of a simulation, both sides the balance of, you know, and, here's something done stitch by stitch."

"Thousands upon hundreds of thousands of stitches are made to perform this, saying no one goes to school to learn this. This is something you just have to automatically pick up, just like someone beatin' a drum with a stick. You know, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom! No one tells you, you just feel it, it comes from your wanting to do it."

Another Costume Maker: "The closer it get to the carnival, the more it cost. But job - we have this trouble every year. The last minute. And, then I have to run all over town. I'm supposed to be workin', I be runnin', runnin' all over town, you understand? Tryin' to find accessories."

"And, each year it's the same thing. Start off right after carnival, you know. Right after carnival. But then fall through, along the way and at the last minute, here we go!"

(Dog barking.)

(A Black Indian, costumed in yellow, exits the house and he runs down the street yelling:)

"Spyboy!! "I'm the Spyboy, I'm the Spyboy, I'm the Spyboy, I'm the Spyboy, I'm the Spyboy, I'm the Spyboy."

Narr: In the carefully defined hierarchy of the Black Indians this is "Spy Boy." He "scouts the way."

(Singing and music.)

Narr: Women in the tribes occupy a position of honor in the parade. They have worked for many months to organize the group's finances.

(Music and singing.)

Narr: And, finally, spread out through the parade - the "gang," or tribe - the second liners.

The secret high society, white "Krewes," parade uptown, on New Orleans' grand thoroughfare, Canal Street. But, the Black Indian tribes parade downtown in their own neighborhoods on their own "turf!"

(Music and singing.)

("Wild Tchoupitoulas" performing "Stomp Your Rump")

Narr: So, on Mardi Gras day, the various Black Indian tribes meet to challenge one another in costume, song, and dance. The descendants of two oppressed peoples, Indians and Black Slaves, resplendent in hand-crafted, traditional costumes, making a proud and joyful sound.

(Singing and music.)

(The Wild Tchoupitoulas with the Neville Brothers and Deacon Jones.)

Narr: This is not art of the academy, or of the cultured "elite," It is art of the street, folk art. It is not taught in school. It is handed down from generation to generation, and it is deeply felt!

(Music and singing.)

Narr: So it is with the art of the "Wild Tchaupitoulas." The costumes worn on Mardi Gras day, the music sung in parade, the dancing, gives play to creative imagination. The songs provide a continuity of oral history through myth and legend, and serve as a "living history."

(Singing.)

Narr: They enhance group solidarity and affirm their Black consciousness. ...And while its aesthetic form embodies traditional themes, motifs, and symbols, it is constantly reinventing itself. It is forever new. New costumes are made every year, and the lyrics of the songs are constantly changing!

Black Man on Camera: "Spyboys meet first, you know. They dance and talk to each other, you know, til they cut each other loose, and then they go on down the line. Flag Boy meets Flag Boy. All down the second chief, and
on to the big chief. But it's mostly just talking' and dancing', man. Yeah, it is."

(Interviewer off camera.)

"What kind of talking?"

Black Man: "Well, Indian talkin'."

(Lots of laughter.)

"Yeah, it is."

Man on camera: "You know what? The person who you're talking to, you know, they. They come back to you, you know. And they'll answer you...say."

"Oh well, you know, than you answer you. You know. But it comes to you. There's no set language that you have like a script to follow, to say what you want to say. You say what you feel!"

(Singing.)

"_ Shanna Wanna Go Mama.
We gonna meet everybody.
Gonna turn around.
Shanna Wanna Go Mama.
I'm pretty White Eagle and I'm going up town.
Shanna Wanna Go Mama.
I told my mother and my little bitty wife.
Shanna Wanna Go Mama.
I'm a man sits here because I'm alive.
Shanna Wanna Go Mama.
On Mardi Gras morning gonna weep and moan.
Shanna Wanna Go Mama.
With the pretty White Eagles when we leave home.
Shanna Wanna Go Mama. _"

Narr: The tradition has endured for more than a hundred years. It will continue.

Black Man: "This Indian thing is like, well something that every Black Man, I feel, should be into, you know. And, I have kids right now, and my kids is coming up. And I want to get all my kids into it. When, when, it gets to the point where I have to drop out, I want my kids to take over for me."

Another Black Man: "Some of the black traditions are not bein' brought forward as much as they should, as far as tradition is concerned, you know. This is a environment that's a part of the peoples. We wish that we can convey to every person, you know, a feeling of tradition!"

"Long live Mardi Gras!
Long live the living!
Long live the Wild Tchoupitoulas!
Long live the Black Indians of New Orleans!"

(Dixieland music playing).