Big Chief, Black Hawk

America ReFramed
  • Feature Film
  • 2023
  • 60 Mins

Big Chief T is a high school senior and the youngest Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief in New Orleans. During COVID-19, he and the Black Hawk Hunters navigate the impacts of gentrification and systemic racism on their annual masking tradition. Through haute couture, movement, and words, Big Chief, Black Hawk celebrates the beauty and resilience of “the culture” even in the face of crisis and change.

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Film Credits

  • Jonathan Isaac Jackson Director
  • Paul V. Fishback Producer
  • Philip Williamson Jr. Producer

Critical Acclaim

Big Chief, Black Hawk is a fascinating exploration into a culture many probably aren’t familiar with but that very much deserves the spotlight. We learn about a deeper history of New Orleans and Mardi Gras, beyond the more commercialized depiction... Jonathan Isaac Jackson’s visual love letter to New Orleans is also a celebration of Black culture worldwide.

Cassondra Feltus, Black Girl Nerds