Big Queen Yellow Pocahontas Black Masking Indians

Black Masking Indians are gangs or groups of mostly men, and women who create elaborate "suits" each year from thousands of beads and various feather types. The practice includes rituals, chants, drumming (tambourines), and movement. It is ancestral. It is deeply spiritual. It was not until more recent history that the tradition of "suit" making, certain beading styles and feather work were considered art. They are each specially designed each year, then it can take up to a year to create as they are hand sewn bead by bead. The cost can range from $1,000-$10,000 for supplies alone and each Indian should sew her/his own "suit". 

Dianne Honore' is the current Big Queen of the legendary Yellow Pocahontas Hunters Black Masking Indian Gang. To mask in the tradition you are either born into it or personally invited and instructed. As a native New Orleanian growing up in the heart of the 6th ward or Treme in her family's restaurant and bar business, Dianne was already invested in the tradition via friends and family involved for decades. She was invited to mask as a Queen then later given the position of Big Queen. The duties of a Big Queen are that of protecting and assisting the Big Chief, as all positions in the tribe are, but also act as a leader in the community and support incoming gang members. Care must be taken to welcome, instruct in manners of sewing, chanting, drumming, all the rituals a Queen should practice. Big Queens should not be intimidated by incoming Queens or other members. That results in failure to complete obligations and sometimes calls for dismissal by the Chief.

While the exact origin of the Yellow Pocahontas gang is unknown, we do know that Dianne's ancestor, Eugene Honore', was Big Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas ca. 1920s. Eugene is also credited for rewording or restructuring the Louisiana Voodoo Creole song, M'alle couri dans deser and incorporating it into the tradition as the Indian prayer song. That song, renamed Indian Red, as well as other rhythms used in some chants in the practice are credited to Honore' by several Indian maskers in the early 1900s.  

Allison "Tootie" Montana stepped in to take the tribe in the 1940s. Big Chief Tootie then gave the tribe to his son Darryl Montana in 1996. Big Chief is Darryl Montana has been involved in the tradition for over 63 years. His Father was a legendary  Chief, Allison "Tootie" Montana who is credited with changing the tradition from violence to elaborate suit creation. He died in City Hall while fighting for the rights of Black Masking Indians.

A tribe always belongs to whomever is the Big Chief at that time. Currently Darryl Montana owns the Yellow Pocahontas. It continues under his leadership and direction. A tribe can consist of any number of members. Traditionally, There will be a Flagboy, Spyboy, Big Chief, 2nd Chief, 3rd Chief, Trail chief, Wildman, Big Queen and a Queen with each Chief. There could also be little Queens and Braves -children in the gang.

Gang members can also be disenrolled for several reasons if the Big Chief decides it is for the betterment of the gang.  Sometimes a gang will go dormant if a Chief so chooses. He can also hand it off to anyone he selects. It is not a family based tradition. It is a community based tradition so, future Chiefs and members are not always related. Each gang stands on their own as there is no governing body over all gangs. Some organizations were founded for the purpose of various gangs coming together for specific goals but not all gangs belong to these umbrella organizations.