The North Side Skull and Bones Gang woke up revelers in Treme on Mardi Gras morning.
The group celebrated its 200th anniversary as the oldest Mardi Gras Black Indian Gang or Tribe in America, with an African Creole tradition dating back to 1819.
The gang members were descendants of slaves and Native Americans.
Skull and Bones are meant to remind people of their mortality and to live a moral life to avoid becoming Skull and Bones themselves.
The North Side Skull and Bones Gang wakes up revelers on Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans, La., March 5, 2019. The group is celebrating its 200th anniversary as the oldest Mardi Gras Black Indian Gang or Tribe in America, with an African Creole tradition dating back to 1819. The gang members were descendants of slaves and Native Americans. Skull and Bones are meant to remind people of their mortality and to live a moral life to avoid becoming Skull and Bones themselves. Photo by Matthew Hinton