NEW ORLEANS — We are hours away from Fat Tuesday, which means Mardi Gras Indians are putting the final touches on the intricate suits they'll reveal tomorrow morning.
Big Chief Kenny Young of the 8th Ward Black Seminoles put the finishing touches on his suit at The House of Dance and Feathers on Lundi Gras.
“It’s more than just a celebration. It’s a part of the fabric of everything that is New Orleans," Young said. “It just takes what you put into it. It could take a year or two years into a suit.”
The suits are kept secret until they're worn on Mardi Gras Day.
Young said he will start his Tuesday morning around 6 a.m. at Art and Rocheblave Streets then go to The House of Dancing Feathers around 8 a.m. It's located in the 1300 block of Tupelo Street.
“What we usually do is we sing Indian Red, which is a prayer, and we leave from our relatives or our homes and meet other tribes and other Indians that are celebrating," Young said.
Each tribe has its own style of suit. Young hand sews feathers and beads on his.
“My joy and pride is teaching the kids the importance of it," Young said.
Young has passed down the tradition to 8-year-old Khylei Barnes.
“I like to be around the people that I love and I like to play the drums," Barnes said.
Barnes said to look out for her 'little tiger' suit on Mardi Gras Day.
Young said if you want to have a good time, you have to come.
“You have to see for yourself what all the hoopla is all about," Young said.
It's hoopla for a culture you won't find anywhere else.
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