All about the ancient tribes
The original inhabitants of the land that New Orleans sits on were the Chitimacha, with the Atakapa, Caddo, Choctaw, Houma, Natchez, and Tunica inhabiting other areas throughout what is now Louisiana.
What Native American tribes lived in New Orleans?
Generally speaking, people who live or were born in New Orleans and vicinity are called New Orleanians.
Both hierarchical and territorial, there are over 40 Mardi Gras Indians tribes throughout the city of New Orleans, including the Wild Magnolias, the Young Maasai Hunters, the Wild Tchoupitoulas, Bayou Renegades and the Golden Feather Hunters.
The Cajuns (/ˈkeɪdʒənz/; Louisiana French: les Cadiens [le ka. dʒɛ̃]), also known as Acadians (Louisiana French: les Acadiens), are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana.
“The Spy Boy is first in the front: he is the baddest of all the Indians … he is ahead looking for trouble. Only a chosen few can be Spy Boy. It’s his job to send a signal to First Flag when he sees other Indians. First Flag signals back down the line to Big Chief. Big Chief has a stick that controls the Indians.
Colorism is present in some portrayals of Creoles, though a large majority of Creoles are mono-racial Black Americans. The term “Creoles of color” was applied to mixed-race Creoles typically born from plaçage and the rape of Africans and Native Americans by the French and Spanish.
Creole people are ethnic groups which originated during the colonial era from racial mixing mainly involving West Africans as well as some other people born in colonies, such as French, Spanish, and Indigenous American peoples; this process is known as creolization.
Mardi Gras Indians (also known as Black Masking Indians) are black carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, who dress up for Mardi Gras in suits influenced by Native American ceremonial apparel. Traditionally, these were the only times Mardi Gras Indians were seen in public in full regalia.
Louisiana Indian Facts for Kids: Answers to frequently asked questions about the tribes of Louisiana. We currently have pages for the Caddo, Choctaws, Chitimacha, Houma, Natchez, Tunica, Atakapa, Alabama, and Coushatta tribes.
There are four federally recognized Indian tribes in Louisiana today. There are four federally recognized Indian tribes in Louisiana today. Recommended books about Louisiana Native Americans: Louisiana Indians: Introducing Louisiana’s Native American history and culture to kids.
That includes people of French, Spanish and African descent. Today, Creole can refer to people and languages in Louisiana, Haiti and other Caribbean Islands, Africa, Brazil, the Indian Ocean and beyond.
The Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of individuals who self-identify as Cherokee but are not state or federally recognized as a Native American tribe or government.
Creole, Spanish Criollo, French Créole, originally, any person of European (mostly French or Spanish) or African descent born in the West Indies or parts of French or Spanish America (and thus naturalized in those regions rather than in the parents’ home country).
In Treme, Albert’s character, played by Clark Peters, is the Big Chief of the Guardians of the Flame, one of the 38 tribes making up the community of the Mardi Gras Indians. His character is a composite of all Indian Chiefs. Although modeled after real Mardi Gras Indians, Lambreaux’s story remains fictional.
Carrithers, Tim (March 31, 2010). “1999-2003 Indian Chief”. Motorcyclist. Bonnier.
Meet Queen Tahj, a young 19 Year old Queen from the Golden Eagle Mardi Gras Indian tribe focusing on “Preserving the culture of Black masking Indians” in New Orleans. I was connected to her tribe and family through a friend and we were off to the races after that.