In the rest of the country Super Sunday refers *only* to the day large men pound on one another and people voluntarily watch teevee commercials. We do that too, but in New Orleans, Super Sunday is *also* the day that Mardi Gras Indians strut their stuff one last time before getting to work on next year’s suit.

Super Sunday used to be mostly for the Indians, their friends and families, and folks in the know, but it has become a big deal in recent years. I think it’s a good thing because the folks who suit up put a lot of work into it and deserve recognition for their artistry and skill.

Dr. A and I went this year and our timing was exquisite. We saw one of the Indians pull on to Napoleon Avenue with his elaborate suit in his truck bed and wound up observing his arrival at the staging area, his preparations, and the beginning of his march.

His name is Dow Edwards and Carolyn Scofield of WVUE-TV interviewed him::

Dow Edwards began his suit last April, paying tribute to some of the first African-American soldiers in the U.S. Army.

This is Edwards’ fifth time making a Mardi Gras Indian suit.

For him, masking is a celebration of both the past and future.

“This means that my ancestors did the right thing,” he says. “This means that the Indians helped free us when we were here. This means that we’re liberated today and this means that New Orleans is the greatest city in the world.”

Here are Dr. A’s pictures of his elaborate and beautiful Buffalo Soldiersuit: