This article was written as a part of Burnaway Magazine's Art Writing Incubator 2024.
Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans features different groups of sacred Black Maskers.
Amongst the most popular are the Mardi Gras Indians, a sacred but mysterious
tradition that began in the 1800s. Each Indian tribe dons themselves in handmade
suits with bold colors, hundreds of feathers and thousands of beads as they parade in
the streets looking for other tribes to battle. When the tribes meet, they exchange a
series of chants and dances. The prettiest Indian wins.
Walter Sandifer III is the Spy Boy of the Beautiful Creole Apache tribe. Here, he uses
his suits to stay true to his indigenous heritage by fighting for the preservation of the
Mississippi River on the streets of New Orleans every Carnival Day. Spy Boy Walt, as
he is affectionately known, spends his time outside of the Indian season taking
environmental classes, learning about the city’s water infrastructure, accepting
fellowships and building relationships with other ecological advocates. He does this
naturally and, although he accepts the title, he doesn’t consider himself an activist.
Sandifer recently began garnering an increasing amount of attention as a bead artist in
the art world. He has worked with different museums and arts organizations, infusing
their space with his raw Ancestral talent. He always gives praise to his predecessors
and, more importantly, to Mother Earth.
Spy Boy Walt’s suits express his gratitude to water. This seemingly simple act
encourages Carnival goers and culture bearers to think about the natural world around
us and how we interact with it daily. Hopefully, his work will influence more Indians to
integrate ecological justice into their practice. Sandifer’s cultural impacts are
significant while his impact on climate justice is not only needed, but overdue.
Walter’s first suit inspired by the Mississippi River was in 2023. There are considerable
differences in his previous suits, making it obvious that the evolution in his practice hassoared to higher heights. Images of the Spy Boy makes it evident why he has the
power to pull observers into his world. Lavender feathers cover his body from top to
bottom. His head is adorned with his signature crown, a headdress he coined “the
sunhat”. The sunhat is a circular crown that lays on top of his head with a hand-
beaded brooch at its center. It has layers of ostrich plumes that shoot out of its
circumference like sun rays. The bottom of this sunhat is donned with a headband
made of blue-tinted, glass rhinestones sewn in the shape of waves. The crown,
unknown to Spy Boy Walt at the time of its creation, instinctually resembles the
Cameroonian juju hat. According to Sandifer, the brooch in the center harnesses the
power of the sun giving him energy. His face is painted in streaks of red while his
warrior stripes resemble that of blood and battle scars framed by his chest length
braided pigtails. His vest is bursting with brilliance including two rhinestoned ducks
along abstract shapes on the front and a host of light purple feathers on the rear.
Strapped to his back is a brown deerskin pouch that acts as a sheath for an authentic
Nigerian sword from the 1800s.
Perhaps it's the allure of what Walt calls his distinctive “war skirt” that fascinates
spectators most. The top of the skirt is made with stoned light blue waves surrounding
his waist and mirrors the bottom of his crown. The surface area of the skirt itself
features beautifully beaded depictions of the Mississippi River that surrounds New
Orleans giving the city its crescent shape. A closer look reveals boats inside the river -
a nod to the commerce the body of water provides - showing the deep intentionality of
the artist. The skirt also includes animals found in the Mississippi and the Gulf of
Mexico including fish, sharks, stingrays, dolphins and sea turtles - all made of glass
rhinestones sewn one by one.
This trapezoid shaped masterpiece was made to adapt to the climate crisis. As
increased floods overtake the city of New Orleans, Spy Boy Walt thought, “What if the
water rises? If we were living in a place that was damp, I would still be able to wear my
suit. If it was flooded, I would still be able to mask Indian.” This knee-length war skirtmeets his fringed and feathered boots with brooches on the toe that mimic the center
of his crown. With unique signature pieces, calculated, purpose-filled artistry and his
authentic Ancestral practice embedded in his spirit, Sandifer makes the viewer
realize…this ain’t no ordinary Indian.
The creation of wearable sculptures that blend his African and Indigenous roots is
revolutionary in its own right. Fusing this traditional art form with environmental justice
to preserve the culture while fighting to preserve such a precious natural resource
takes the sacred tradition of masking to another level.
As Nina Simone reminds us, “An artist's duty…is to reflect the times.” Indians have
used their suits as a platform for activism for decades. Whether illuminating the effects
of gun violence plaguing our community or creating a suit the shape of the infamous
pink ribbon dedicated to breast cancer awareness, maskers have proven this ancient
tradition isn’t just about who’s the prettiest. Although many Indians choose to parade
their causes on the streets of New Orleans, it’s an anomaly to see the culture bearers
dedicate their suits to environmental justice. What if an Indian made a suit about
Cancer Alley? Would someone from a tradition who competes to be the most
beautiful dare to show some of the ugliest parts of our state?
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