Ethiopia, Demond Melancon, Big Chief of the Young Seminole Hunters
Haile Selassie, Demond Melancon, Spy Boy of the Seminole Hunters
The traditional story of the origin of Black masking Indians is that the practice emerged to pay homage to Native Americans who had sheltered runaway enslaved people. In creating his suits, Demond Melancon shifted attention to rebellions plotted by these fugitive communities, such as the exploits of Bras-Coupé, a legendary escapee who led raids to supply the runaway, or maroon, settlements. Melancon has also focused on masking mentors, such as Ferdinand Bigard, whose beaded artwork Eye of God is on display in this exhibition.
Healing Humanity, Janet “Sula” Evans, Medicine Queen of the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors
This suit, Healing Humanity, honors Asase Yaa and Babaluaye. Asase Yaa is mother earth in the West African Akan tradition and the Twi language. Invoked to heal the planet and humanity, she is typically depicted with a pregnant belly, which symbolizes hope and blessings for the future. Babaluaye is an orisha, or force of nature, that also heals, sweeping the earth clean from pestilence and disease.