Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog
This searchable database provides information on images, documents, and audio and video recordings, made between 1934 and the present.
Interview with Tee Mamou Iota Mardi Gras Captains; Elson Cart; Gerald Fruge; Roney Fruge; C. Durio
Interviews with local leaders of the Tee Mamou Iota Mardi Gras;
01:50 - Minimum age to run Mardi Gras - 18 years due to drinking laws;
03:00 - Family's involvement in the Mardi Gras run;
03:55 - Changes in the traditions of running Mardi Gras over the past 35 years - younger people taking over for older runners;
04:45 - Route of run has changed slightly
06:05 - "Major" changes - Runners only allowed to drink whiskey or wine in the earlier days, now runners are served beer. In old days, each stop would have food/coffee, refreshments, etc;
10:15 - Changes in the community - more interest amongst younger people
08:00 - More discipline to keep things from getting too crazy;
11:55 - Discussing how Mardi Gras captains are chosen; Roles of co-captains
14:00 - Runners must attend two meetings before the run;
15:00 - Mardi gras runners can kick out other runners or co-captains if they become abusive in any way;
18:20 - Practicing the songs at the meetings; Many of the rules are in place to protect people's property;
19:00 - Larry Miller speaks about other rural runs in the area. He mentions that many lack structure;
20:00 - More discussion on organization and rules;
27:15 - What has caused Mardi Gras to endure over the years;
Interview with Elson Cart
01:00 - Group of young boys (8-10 years old) running on foot in Iota around the 1920s; Mentions that none of the girls formed Mardi Gras groups in those days;
04:20 - An adult would follow the boys to make sure everything ran smoothly, didn't act as captain.
08:30 - Elson's father was a captain for Iota runs in the early years;
09:15 - How far back they can trace the Mardi Gras runs; 1919 is the earliest he remembers, but Elson's dad and father-in-law said they both ran Mardi Gras in their youngers days (1800s);
18:00 - Story about many of the Mardi Gras horses getting sick and dying;
21:00 - Mardi Gras costumes, discussing alternative materials they'd use to make costumes; - tablecloths, sheepskin, horsehair for masks, floursacks for main costume, cardboard for capuchon;
29:30 - Discussion about the captain's whip and costume;
31:00 - Houses rarely refused visits from Mardi Gras, it was a special event for them;
Interview with Tee Mamou Iota Mardi Gras captians; Gerald Fruge; Roney Fruge; C. Durio
Creating a video on the Mardi Gras run;
Mardi Gras coming into Iota for the festival and including the womens Mardi Gras;
The isolation of the Tee Mamou Iota Mardi Gras in past years;
Definition of a good Mardi Gras;
What festival has done to promote the tradition of the Mardi Gras run.Interest of young people in running Mardi Gras;
Days activities for Mardi Gras run;
Interview with Tee Mamou Iota Mardi Gras captians; Gerald Fruge; Roney Fruge; C. Durio
Continuation of activities of Mardi Gras run.Experiences of Mardi Gras as a child;
Beginning of using candy during Mardi Gras run;
Explanation of rules;
The Mardi Gras festival is just beginning;
They discuss how this is effecting the Mardi Gras run in the country;
Negre and Negresse;
Speaking French among the Mardi Gras;
Canning food.
Rufus Deshotels
Mardi Gras entering a dance to the Hee Haw Breakdown. (New Orleans)
Singing the Tee Mamou Mardi Gras Song.
Tante Emmadean Vasseur
Working on farm rather than going to school;
The history of Mardi Gras in the area;
Mardi Gas coming to her house when she was young;
Emmadean's continued desire to run Mardi Gras;
The women begging to run Mardi Gras;
The women's role in Mardi Gras preparation before running; making mask, suits and preparing the gumbo;
Experiences as a traiteur and handing down the gift to others;
S. Doucet; G. Cormier
Life around the time of Mardi Gras;
Growing cotton;
Traveling peddlers.
Grand Coulee Mardi Gras
Children running Mardi Gras;
Progression of running Mardi Gras on foot to using trucks;
Giving the Mardi Gras provision and candy for teenage girls;
Logistics of music for the Mardi Gras;
Role of captains;
Discussion of the words, meaning and usage of the Mardi Gras song;
How the group was organized and choosing a captains;
Running Mardi Gras in Jeff Davis parish;
The dance after the Mardi Gras run;
Stories about Mardi Gras being mischievous;
Descriptions of Mardi Gras mask material and costume;
Obtaining the costume;
What it takes to be a good Mardi Gras;
Hugh and Betty Miller
Their experiences with the LeJeune Cove Mardi Gras;
Celebrating Christmas;
Reading in French, couple who raised many children and taught them to read;
Talking about Iry LeJeune.
Hugh and Betty Miller
Preparing for LeJeune Cove Mardi Gras;
The structure of the Mardi Gras run;
What Mardi Gras performed at the houses;
Characters they used - Johnny Grosse Tete, the woman giving birth, and old man and old lady;
Descriptions of the costume and how they were made;
Mardi Gras truck;
Captains whip;
Tricks Mardi Gras would perform;
What the Mardi Gras did at the dance;
Women cooking the gumbo for the dance in the evening;
Group that ran in the 1930s;
Agriculture for a living;
House dances;
Brief history of running Mardi Gras in the LeJeune Cove Mardi Gras;
Costume Making;
Purchasing the screen mask.
Mr and Mrs.Allen Leger; Rufus Deshotels
Recounts of Mardi Gras in the 1930's and 1940's;
Saturday night dances;
Mardi Gras at the dance hall;
Other community gatherings centering around the Catholic Church (church bazar);
Rufus Deshotels;
Being treated for a snake bite;
Natural Treatments;
Tricks Mr. Deshotlels would do as a Mardi Gras;
Mardi Gras on horse back;
Catching the chicken and stealing for fun, when to break the rules;
More information about womens Mardi Gras and Tante Emmadean;
Syrup pies. (Pie day in Catahoula);
Cooking sassafras and cat nip;
Doctor in Crowley who only used herbal medicine;
Trading furs;
Costume making, description of costume;
Changes in the community of Miller Ville;
Boucherie and preserving meat.
Mr. and Mrs. Allen Leger
Life centering around the seasons;
Preserving/curing meat;
Community boucherie;
Women's perspective on preserving food;
Cleaning the casing for sausage;
Seasons for boucherie;
Canning food;
Ways of cooking eggs;
Process of making sausage;
Storing milk and making milk products;
Gathering to butcher and sharing among the community;
Making hog head cheese and boudin;
Using all parts of the pig and cow;
Process of butchering a hog;
The changes that occurred with the introduction of electricity;
Share cropping;
Cooking dinner for the threshing crew.
Merline, Shirley and Patsy Simar
Women's Mardi Gras getting established;
The women running with the men;
Structure and rules;
Community reaction to women's group;
Pranks;
Making suits - needle point masks;
Making the Gumbo the new way and the old way;
How they made their costumes.
Rufus Deshotels
Cooking meatballs;
Working in the rice fields - threshing the rice and working in sawmill;
Being in the woods at night and dreams;
Learning the hard way to survive off the land;
Re-introduction of deer into Louisiana;
Indians preparing and eating skunk.
Merline, Shirley, Patsy Simar
Talking about the women's Mardi Gras;
Catching and chasing the chicken complaint;
Planning the route ahead of time;
Being accepted or rejected at a house;
Running at the Jean Laffite Center in New Orleans;
What is special about the Iota Mardi Gras;
What they thought about the Mardi Gras as a child;
Festival in Iota Mardi Gras day;
Money collected on the Mardi Gras run.
Walter Young and Allie Young; Bayou Berwick
Having a homestead;
His grandfather selling rice and what he did with the money;
Their experiences working as young men;
Eating with the seasons;
Canning food;
Instructing in President Roosevelt's Food for Freedom program;
Patriotism during WWII;
Games they played when they were young (Tom ball and Raquette);
Dolls girls played with;
How they washed cloths;
Recounting history of the area farming;
Changes after WWII;
Walter Young and Allie Young; Bayou Berwick
What they used money for and what they did when they ran out of money;
Explanation of the coupon system when they had their grocery store;
Cost of living;
Mardi Gras being Paillasse (being a clown);
The gumbo after the Mardi Gras Run;
House Dances;
Fais do do;
Changes in the language from generation to generation;
The differences between the Iota Mardi Gras and the other areas;
Roughness of the Mardi Gras.
Walter Young and Allie Young, Bayou Berwick
Practicing the Catholic faith;
When they first starting receiving electricity;
The school system and how it evolved;
Raising their own crops and animals;
Getting supplies from other and making their own food;
Neighborhood boucherie;
Courting at house parties;
Saturday night dances at the dance hall;
Role of girls in having a house dance;
Walter Young and Allie Young; Bayou Berwick
Layout of the houses;
Outsiders coming into house dances;
What they did to pass their time during the week;
Funerals, wakes, and burying the dead;
Decorating the graves;
Doctors, medicine and midwives;
Family genealogy of Lejeune to Young;
Cutting and threshing rice;