The End of the Big Easy

On Friday, our last full day, we also took our last fieldtrip/site visit of New Orleans to the Backstreet Cultural museum. This museum, located in the Trémé (historically black neighborhood located right next to the French Quarter that was originally founded by free slaves in the early 1800s) was dedicated to the study and preservation of the Mardi Gras Indians. Since the freedom of slaves in the 1860s they had decided to celebrate their freedom by honoring the native Americans who had also toiled in servitude with them, but had also helped many African slaves escape. so every Mardi Gras groups of African-Americans don intricate, elaborate hand sewn costumes that evoke the native Americans. It's a very ritualized process  with shouting fights over which tribal chief is the prettiest (actually the term they use). They costumes were amazing to see, and incredible to think of the amount of work that had to go into each and every costume to only be worn a maximum of 3 times.
By Saturday it was mindblowing that we had already reached the conclusion of our time in New Orleans and of our time remaining in the United States. We held an evaluation session, packed and headed off to the airport to voyage to our next destination......BRAZIL!!!!

Random dog thing that appears around town in different colors

Really Cool Museum

Memorial to the unknown slave

So begins the Mardi Gras Indian costume pictures

Many are inspired by native american traditions and art

Each year a different color is selected to make sure everyone knows that this is a new suit.

Very intricate bead work 

One of my personal favorites.

Boots are included in the costume!!

Yup

Each suit is made up of tons of these individual patches on canvas.

Each bead is hand sewn on. The whole process takes several individuals a full year, and the finished suit routinely weighs more than 100 pounds!

The Southern Decadence Festival, America's largest Gay Pride  festival.

Betsy, Ken and Wangui doing the Wobble!

This earned them several beads from the balconies

Hahahaha great look from Danny