Decades of Mardi Gras bloodshed in New Orleans finally ended with this “needle and thread” revolution

Big Chief Tootie Montana’s Peace Revolution in 1970s

For decades, when Mardi Gras Indian tribes met on Carnival day in New Orleans, blood flowed.

The streets became “the battlefield” where rivals settled old scores through “humbugs” – violent fights that left families in tears, unsure if their men would come home alive. Then, in the early 1970s, everything changed.

Big Chief Allison “Tootie” Montana of the Yellow Pocahontas joined with other tribal leaders to end the bloodshed. They crafted a new motto: “Kill ’em dead with needle and thread.” After that, tribes poured their energy into creating stunning suits rather than fights.

The Backstreet Cultural Museum now showcases this remarkable transformation where visitors can witness how violence turned to art.

How Black New Orleans Folks Created Their Own Carnival Tradition

Black New Orleanians in the late 1800s started honoring Native Americans who helped escaped slaves by creating their own Carnival tradition. Chief Becate Batiste formed the first group, Creole Wild West, around 1880.

Shut out from white celebrations, Black communities made something new.

They mixed African and Native American customs to thank the tribes who gave runaway slaves shelter in Louisiana swamps. This street performance culture still lives on today.

Carnival Day Turned Dangerous

By the early 1900s, Mardi Gras became risky business. Rival groups used the busy Carnival crowds as cover to settle scores.

Men put on masks not just to party but to fight enemies. Stabbings, shootings, and hatchet attacks happened when rival groups met.

Police mostly watched the French Quarter and St. Charles Avenue parades, leaving Black neighborhoods with little protection on the busiest day of the year.

The Streets Got Rough During Celebrations

Uptown and Downtown groups often fought in spots locals called “the battlefield. ” Some men wore dresses to blend into Carnival crowds before jumping rivals.

After attacks, they ran to nearby bars to change clothes, leaving dresses scattered around the city.

The fighting cast a dark cloud over the fun, with women crying as their men left home, not knowing if they’d come back alive.

Tootie Montana Grew Up Around Tribal Fights

Allison “Tootie” Montana was born December 16, 1922, into a family deep in Mardi Gras Indian culture. His dad Alfred led the Yellow Pocahontas tribe from the 1920s until 1941.

After fighting in World War II, Tootie joined the Eighth Ward Hunters before starting the Monogram Hunters in 1947. Like many Indians back then, Montana often came home beat up after Carnival clashes.

Fighting Went Against What Indian Culture Stood For

Tootie grew sick of how the fighting hurt a culture their ancestors built.

The violence dropped some in the 1950s as cops cracked down, but Montana saw deadly fights that put the whole tradition at risk.

The Big Chief knew the bloodshed went against why they started honoring those who helped slaves find freedom. He felt something had to change if they wanted to keep the tradition alive.

A New Saying Changed Everything

Montana came up with “Kill ’em dead with needle and thread” to shift how tribes competed. He figured Indians who spent months making fancy suits wouldn’t risk them in fights.

This change took hold in the late 1950s when Montana became Big Chief of Yellow Pocahontas.

He smartly turned tribal competition away from fighting toward who could make the best suit, creating a peaceful path that kept the tradition strong.

Top Chiefs Teamed Up to Stop the Fighting

Several key Big Chiefs joined Montana in the early 1970s to change things. Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias and Donald Harrison Sr. of Guardians of the Flame worked with Montana to convince others to stop fighting.

The chiefs realized the streets they fought over weren’t worth dying for since they didn’t own the land anyway. They agreed a chief’s real job was keeping his tribe safe and getting everyone home.

Beads and Feathers Became the New Way to Show Off

Montana changed suit design, moving from plain colors to bright beads, ostrich feathers, and sequins. His geometric beadwork became his trademark that others tried to copy but rarely matched.

Indians put thousands of hours and dollars into their suits, making them want to protect these works of art. The suits grew to tell stories of African and African-American history through detailed designs.

Tribes Started Competing With Art Instead of Fighting

By the 1970s, when tribes met, they showed off their suits instead of fighting. Chiefs started praising each other’s work, saying “Looking good, baby, looking good!”

Chanting, dancing, and music replaced physical fights as the way to prove who was best.

Montana noticed a complete change by 1982, saying: “Now people run to the Mardi Gras Indians; back in the day, people would run from them.

A New Group Made Peace Official

The New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council formed in 1985 to connect more than 40 active tribes. The group helped cement the shift from fighting to competing through suits, chants, and performance skills.

The council created Super Sunday as a special day for Indians to gather without other parades around. This formal setup helped formerly violent rivals interact peacefully.

Tootie’s Vision Created a Cultural Renaissance

Montana masked continuously for 52 years until 2005, the longest run in Mardi Gras Indian history. His artistic leadership earned him a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1987.

His son Darryl Montana took over Yellow Pocahontas leadership in 1998, continuing the peaceful tradition his father established.

The transformation preserved a unique cultural tradition while ending decades of bloodshed, allowing future generations to celebrate their heritage without fear.

Visiting Backstreet Cultural Museum, Louisiana

The Backstreet Cultural Museum at 1531 St Philip Street in New Orleans’ Tremé neighborhood tells the story of how Big Chief Allison “Tootie” Montana transformed Mardi Gras Indian culture from violence to art in the 1970s.

You can visit Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm for a $20-25 donation.

The museum has over 500 video archives and rare 1940s photographs documenting this peaceful revolution with the motto “Kill ’em dead with needle and thread.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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