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The festivities did not start until noon, but people had already been on both banks of Bayou St. John for hours before this year’s Downtown Super Sunday march (April 7). Soon after, the streets were filled with music, cheers, colors and joy as Black masking Indian tribes made their way through the city’s downtown neighborhoods.

This year’s event featured music from the New Orleans Creation Brass Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Walking alongside tribe members were the Pigeon Town Steppers, the Original Black Seminole Baby Dolls and Kid’s Nation. But the most spectacular parts of the parade were the elaborately beaded and feathered suits, each unique to their wearers.

The colorful event kicked off at Moss and Orleans Avenues at Bayou St. John. The parade then proceeded river-bound on Orleans Avenue before turning left on North Broad Street and ending at Hardin Playground in the 7th Ward. 

Bryson Lewis is a nephew of retiring Big Chief Spirit of the Fi Yi Yi Victor Harris of the Mandingo Warriors, who Lewis said taught him about the tradition. Now a third chief for the 9th Ward Black Hatchet, Lewis spent more than a year working on his suit, which he said depicts scenes from the movie “Roots.”

“This is important to me,” Lewis said. “It just shows the gratitude to the Indians that actually took the time and will to try and hide the slaves and to keep us free.”

See photos below:

Lue Palmer contributed to this report.

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Minh (Nate) Ha is a recent magna cum laude graduate from American University with a Bachelor's degree in journalism. His reporting work includes stories about how second-generation Vietnamese Americans...