Memories of Black Indian Materialities in Colonial New Orleans

ABSTRACT The Black Indian past of New Orleans has received considerable attention in recent years, thanks in part to the Mardi Gras Indians, parading groups known for their elaborate beaded suits, many of which also celebrate Native American heritage. Despite this vibrant living tradition, historians have sometimes been skeptical of the temporal depth or continuity of Black-Indian connections. Archaeological evidence from the colonial-era St. Peter Street Cemetery provides an opportunity to reconsider the ways that material traditions were used to reinforce the connections of the city’s Native and African-descended populations, even as the demographic presence of indigenous peoples was being subsumed by later arrivals.