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.
Request a fileInterview 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;