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We Won’t Bow Down is a full-length feature documentary on the past, present and future of the New Orleans Black Indians (also known as the Mardi Gras Indians). One of the oldest cultures in the US, the history of the Mardi Gras Indian dates back to the 18th century, when African slaves would escape into the swamps surrounding New Orleans. Native American tribes like the Choctaw, Seminole and Chickasaw tribes also lived in these areas. Bound together by a shared history of slavery and exploitation, these groups forged relationships and found they had similar customs, music and dance.
After Abolition, these former slaves would honor the tribes who helped them through the tyranny of slavery by incorporating Native American themes and influences into their African rituals, songs and traditions. They continued to express this culture by “masking” as Indians during Mardi Gras celebrations, with elaborate headdresses and intricately beaded costumes (called “suits”). By combining the cultures of two oppressed peoples, the Black Indians created true resistance through art.
