The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation will honor the late Big Chief Allison “Tootie” Montana as the subject of the annual Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture on January 6. “The Life and Legacy of Big Chief Tootie Montana” will be presented as a panel discussion at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, 1225 N. Rampart Street, at 6:30 p.m. following ceremonies in Armstrong Park at a statue of the renowned Black Masking Indian cast by artist Sheleen Jones-Adenle.
A lather by trade, Montana was a New Orleans cultural icon who acted as the “chief of chiefs” among Black Masking Indians for over 50 years. As Big Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas, he is often credited for changing the violent origins of the Carnival tradition. Montana emphasized the elaborate beadwork-and-feather construction of Indian suits made the culture of the Black Masking Indians Gras Indians about ritual and pageantry rather than violence. Born in 1922, Montana died on June 27, 2005, after collapsing at a podium in the chamber of the New Orleans City Council as he made a speech denouncing police violence against Black Masking Indians.
Full Schedule
4:30 p.m. | Meet at Tootie Montana statue in Armstrong Park
4:45 p.m. | Wreath-laying ceremony at the statue followed by a blessing of the drums to open Carnival season in the community (all are welcome to bring their own drum)
Prayer song of “Indian Red” led by Darryl Montana
5:30 p.m. | Community procession from Armstrong Park to the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center
6:00 p.m. | Doors open
6:30 p.m. | “The Life and Legacy of Big Chief Tootie Montana” panel discussion begins. Dianne Honoré will moderate the conversation among Big Chief Darryl Montana of the Yellow Pocahontas Tribe; Big Chief Ray Blazio, founder of the Wild Apache Tribe and former Flagboy with the Yellow Pocahontas; and Fred Johnson, cofounder Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club and former Spyboy with the Yellow Pocahontas.
Tom Dent Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is limited; register in advance here.
The panel will discuss their experience and time with Big Chief Allison Tootie Montana as well as the history and traditions that were passed down to them through their involvement with the Black Masking community over the years.
Please note that proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test performed within 72 hours is currently required for entry. Masks are required for indoor guests at all times. The lecture will also be livestreamed. at jazzandheritage.org/live
Tom Dent, for whom the lecture series is named, was an author, historian and both a board member and an executive director of the Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Photo courtesy of the Thomas C. Dent Papers, Amistad Research Center at Tulane.
About the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series
Tom Dent (1931-1998) was a jazz scholar, playwright, oral historian, journalist and cultural activist. He was also an early board member of the Jazz & Heritage Foundation, and served as executive director from 1987 to 1990.
In the past, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lectures also included the Tom Dent Congo Square Symposium. The event has featured top scholars of African culture and how it relates to the New World, such as Robert Farris Thompson of Yale University and the author Ned Sublette. The symposium coincides with one of the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s cultural events, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, which is held the second Sunday of November at the site of Congo Square in Armstrong Park.
