Mardi Gras Indians sing to woman battling brain cancer
A New Orleans woman has photographed and documented the stories of the Mardi Gras Indians for years, but Wendy Good was diagnosed with brain cancer last spring and hasn't been able to cover their work. So, they brought the party to her front porch — and gave her a special performance.
The Mardi Gras Indians are a New Orleans carnival organization comprised mainly of African American communities in the city, according to the New Orleans Mardi Gras website. Rather than being known as a "krewe" like most Mardi Gras organizations, the Mardi Gras Indians hail from different groups known as "tribes" that are organized by neighborhood, of which there are about three dozen.
The groups don elaborate, handmade "suits" featuring intricate hand-beading and parade during Carnival season, as well as other holidays in the city, reports NPR.
Though it is not clear when exactly the Mardi Gras Indians were established, one theory posits that their history dates back to the 1700s, when slaves would gather in Congo Square to play traditional African music. Their costumes honor native tribes who sheltered and protected escaped slaves.
Good, a New Orleans resident, developed an interest in the culture of Mardi Gras Indians after Hurricane Katrina and began snapping photos of the "tribes."
"Mom was a photographer unofficially for a long time," Wendy's daughter, Emily, told CBS News. "She's self-taught. She was taking photos around town."
Eventually, Wendy introduced herself to David Peters Montana, the "Big Chief" of Washitaw Nation, and gave him "stacks of photos of him that she had taken," said Emily.
Montana, who creates all of his own "suits," instantly became friends with the photographer. "We kind of welcomed her to our tribe," Montana told CBS affiliate WWL-TV.
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