234:. Ahead of the tribe is a "Spyboy" who is a block or two ahead. He will motion to the "Flagboy" if the road ahead is clear or not. The "Flagboy" will then alert the chief. The chief will then make the decision as to what road to take. Because of the ambiguous nature of the Indians, there is no telling what path they make take around New Orleans. This makes finding their exact location difficult to pinpoint each year. When two tribes meet each other on the same path, they will have a battle. This battle no longer involves bloodshed and weapons, but chanting and dancing, as well as an informal competition as to which chief has the "prettiest" suit. The chants are in a native language, and can tell a story, shared experience or taunt the opposing tribe. The relationships between the tribes have become calm since the work that Tootie did with changing the traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians.
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245:, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Tootie continued to mask as Chief until 1998, when his son Darryl took over as Chief of The Yellow Pocahontas Tribe. At the age of 78, Tootie was the oldest continuously masking Mardi Gras Indian. In 1995 he stated, "I am the oldest, I am the best, and I am the prettiest". There was one year during his career starting in 1947 and ending in 2005 that he did not mask, and that was for Mardi Gras of 1986.
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On his climb to becoming the most renowned Chief of the Mardi Gras
Indians, Tootie changed the images of the Indian suits from ones of bland colors, to a show of aesthetically pleasing beads, feathers and sequins. Tootie would use vibrant colors and ostrich feathers to display his pride to be a Mardi
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Tootie is the great nephew of Becate
Batiste, the first creole to mask with the Indians. Becate later went on to form his own Mardi Gras Indian tribe called the Creole Wild West given he was part Indian and part creole. Tootie's father Alfred Montana masked with the Mardi Gras Indians, which provided
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After handing down the Yellow
Pocahontas Tribe to his son, Tootie continued to work on suits and would mask during Carnival until he was 82 years old, totaling 52 years of masking. He wasn't able to walk as easily and had a cart pull him with his tribe. He continued to make beautiful suits in bright
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was the day that any Indian revenge was executed. An angry Indian would disguise in a dress and blend into the
Carnival crowd. The cross-dressing Indian would approach the person they are seeking revenge upon and attack them in the middle of Carnival. The attacker would then escape to change clothes
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Alfred helped Tootie construct his crown the first 2 years that Tootie masked. His father delivered the crown the night before
Carnival. The late arrival pushed Tootie to construct his own crown, to avoid having to suit without one. Before WWII Tootie became known as Big Chief of the Yellow Creole
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Tootie eventually removed the violent nature of Mardi Gras
Indians by replacing it with a competition of beauty, and of love and sightseeing. He believed that if an Indian spent months working on an elaborate suit, they would avoid violent scenes to prevent tarnishing the suit. In the late 1950s,
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Tootie was outraged by the Mardi Gras
Indians' violence, which was disrespecting the culture their ancestors had died for. Many nights after Carnival, Tootie would come home in a battered suit, covered in blood and bruises from the night's events. Tootie spoke out against Indian gang violence and
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abuse of the Mardi Gras
Indians. In the middle of his speech Tootie suffered from a heart attack that took his life. At his funeral, different tribes from across the city gathered to sing, dance and honor Tootie, the Big Creole Chief, the Chief of Chiefs.
159:"Chief of Chiefs" for over 50 years. Tootie is revered in the Mardi Gras Indian culture as the Big Chief. Tootie was the Big Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas Tribe and made the culture of the Mardi Gras Indians about pageantry rather than combat display.
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Originally, the Mardi Gras
Indians were a violent group of people fighting over lands and wards surrounding the parishes. Tribes from different sections of town would engage in fights called humbugs in parts of New Orleans called the battlefield.
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Tootie with the opportunity to observe the culture. His parents divorced when Tootie was eight years old, but the bond over masking kept Alfred and Tootie close. Alfred helped Tootie mask his first few years going out as a Mardi Gras Indian.
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turned to music and dance as a way to express competitive showmanship. In the words of Tootie's widow, Joyce
Montana, Tootie was the first to say, “stop fighting with your guns, and begin fighting with your suits and minds".
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Indians stemmed from what was observed while under the care of the indigenous people. The art of masking in Indian suits at Carnival is a way to pay respect to the people who looked after escaped slaves.
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Pocahontas tribe. In 1947, he became Big Chief of The Monogram Hunters, a tribe he founded with local friends. During the time of his work as Big Chief, Tootie changed the nature of masking.
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Tootie had been dealing with this brutality since he began suiting in the 1940s. On June 27, 2005 Tootie was making a speech at the New Orleans City Council Chamber against the
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In 1982 Tootie is quoted to have said that "Now, people run to the Mardi Gras Indians; back in the day, people would run from them". Montana is a recipient of a 1987
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night, a night when the Mardi Gras Indians parade. The police blocked off the road that the Indians were using and began to scatter the masses and fire into crowds.
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The start of Carnival involves the Chief marching in the back of his tribe, while non-costumed followers trail behind the Indians, known as a
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Gras Indian. He became known for his geometric beadwork. Many Indians looked forward to Tootie unveiling his latest color scheme and patches.
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In 1956, Montana married Joyce Francis, who never masked with the Mardi Gras Indians, but who did help Tootie with his suits over the years.
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in a local bar. In an interview, Tootie said that all day during Carnival, discarded dresses could be found in bars across New Orleans.
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colors that would draw the crowds out on Super Sunday. On March 19, 2005 the Mardi Gras Indians were faced with police brutality on
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593:. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Dept. of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
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Originally published as an exhibit catalog by the New Orleans Museum of Art for the 1997 exhibit of the same name.
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587:"He's The Prettiest: A Tribute To Big Chief Allison "Tootie" Montana's 50 Years Of Mardi Gras Indian Suiting"
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show featuring segment on Allison 'Tootie' Montana. Aired February 14, 2007; freely archived online.
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Foster, Jason P. (Autumn 2005). "A Biographical Sketch: Big Chief Allison "Tootie" Montana".
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The history of the Mardi Gras Indians can be traced back to the time of slavery in
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Tootie regained his title of Big Chief for the Yellow Creole Pocahontas tribe.
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171:. When slaves would escape from the city, many would find shelter with the
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Brazile, Curtis; Miller, Barbara; Grover, Katherine (December 4, 2012).
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633:. Vol. 2 (K-Z). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio. pp. 453–455.
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Darryl Montana wearing Indian suit in tribute to his father, 2007
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493:"Allison 'Tootie' Montana: Mardi Gras Chief/Costume Maker"
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Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Death, and Life in New Orleans
375:. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Archived from
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Govenar, Alan, ed. (2001). "Allison "Tootie" Montana".
669:. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Archived from
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Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary
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Excerpts from interview published February, 1994 in
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274:For most of his adult life, Montana worked as a
556:. St. Augustine Catholic Church. Archived from
550:"Famous Parishioner: Allison "Tootie" Montana"
526:. No. 16. New Orleans, LA. pp. 21–26
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310:"A Colorful Farewell for the Chief of Chiefs"
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554:St. Augustine Catholic Church of New Orleans
345:(4). Louisiana Historical Association: 482.
163:Origins and traditions of Mardi Gras Indians
697:"Another Battle of New Orleans: Mardi Gras"
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520:"Delight in Repetition: The Black Indians"
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783:African-American history in New Orleans
749:Award-winning documentary film website.
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147:(December 16, 1922 – June 27, 2005), a
518:Martinez, Maurice M. (February 1982).
499:. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d
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793:20th-century African-American people
778:National Heritage Fellowship winners
466:. Tulane University. Archived from
398:Tisserand, Michael (July 5, 2005).
367:Sakakeeny, Matt (October 1, 2012).
39:Louis Armstrong Park (New Orleans)
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16:Mardi Gras Indian Chief of Chiefs
373:KnowLA Encyclopedia of Louisiana
308:Reckdall, Katy (July 11, 2005).
243:National Endowment for the Arts
155:cultural icon who acted as the
145:Chief Allison "Tootie" Montana
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548:Medley, Keith Weldon (2005).
286:neighborhood of New Orleans.
239:National Heritage Fellowship
173:Indigenous people of America
136:National Heritage Fellowship
730:"Mardi Gras in New Orleans"
726:, Louisiana Folklife Center
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788:African-American Catholics
437:. New York: Random House.
773:Mardi Gras in New Orleans
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724:Allison 'Tootie' Montana
743:. 2007. Archived from
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82:New Orleans, Louisiana
64:New Orleans, Louisiana
747:on February 24, 2015.
732:Public radio program
695:(February 19, 1995).
591:Folklife in Louisiana
379:on September 15, 2015
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37:Statue of Montana in
741:"Tootie's Last Suit"
460:"Mardi Gras Indians"
369:"Mardi Gras Indians"
280:St. Augustine Church
249:Later life and death
175:. Traditions of the
524:Wavelength magazine
400:"Why Mess With Me?"
560:on August 30, 2015
429:Baum, Dan (2010).
256:Saint Joseph's Day
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583:Salaam, Kalamu ya
339:Louisiana History
157:Mardi Gras Indian
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104:Years active
60:December 16, 1922
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693:Bragg, Rick
677:December 4,
530:October 26,
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232:second line
169:New Orleans
153:New Orleans
757:Categories
706:August 30,
640:1576072401
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564:August 30,
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293:References
197:Early life
177:Mardi Gras
107:1940s–2005
96:Occupation
56:1922-12-16
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115:Chief of
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585:(1997).
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276:lather
149:lather
138:, 1987
132:Awards
124:Spouse
119:Chiefs
99:Lather
91:Tootie
66:, U.S.
347:JSTOR
284:Tremé
708:2015
679:2020
645:OCLC
635:ISBN
605:ISBN
599:2015
566:2015
532:2018
505:2020
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321:2015
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