On Oct. 16, at 7p.m., Loyola’s school of music and The Louisiana Music and Heritage Experience, Inc. will host “Behind the Mask”, a 2 hour performance that highlights the history of Black Masking Indian culture. The production will take place in Roussell hall, and will be filmed for a documentary, which will be distributed for free worldwide.

The event has 100 tickets available for Loyola students, and attendees can RSVP to the event by emailing [email protected]. “Behind the Mask” is a production curated by Board Member Big Chief Juan Pardo, and it will be told by five Big Chiefs, involving music and traditional dress, tribe members, and it will be narrated by WGNO’s Lebron Joseph.

“Black Masking Indian culture has existed beyond our understanding and will continue to evolve. It’s a living, breathing marriage between many cultures coming long before European discovery. Simply put, the present day tribal existence is deeper than the story previously told. We’re excited to share this history with you,” a festival spokesperson explained. 

LMHE will also be doing a Masking Indian Village at the festival where festival goers will have one on one experiences with tribal members to learn the culture. Programming at the Village will be filmed along with Mardi Gras Day events, and all the gathered assets will be used to create the documentary.