Chief 'Tootie ' Montana Dies of a Heart Attack at City Council Meeting : NOLA Indymedia

06/27/05

Yesterday evening, the New Orleans City Council held a special session to review complaints of police misconduct during the Mardi Gras Indians celebration this past spring. Just moments after speaking of his fifty-two years of involvement with the Indians, Allison ‘Tootie’ Montana, chief of chiefs, fell to a heart attack, surrounded by the other Indian Chiefs and other supporters. Cries of his wife and other loved ones soon filled air, along with hushed sobs and worried whispers. As the minutes dragged on, and CPR was performed, the crowd began to understand the gravity of the situation. When the paramedics arrived, about 12 minutes later, many Mardi Gras Indians in the room rose their voices in a slow and steady rendition of Indian Red. Tootie was then taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Following is an account of the entire meeting.

City Hall was almost full for this special session to hear concerns about police behavior during the Mardi Gras Indians on March 19th, 2005. Prior to the state of the hearings, one man shouted out for the City Council to show consideration for the young people in the room. Apparently, they had been disrespected by police outside the hearing either that day or at an earlier time. He said that they better “treat our kids like George Bush’s kids,” which generated hearty applause from the crowd. A City Council official stated that everything was going to go well today, which turned out to be a sad, grave mistake. They opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, which a sizable portion of the crowd sat through.

During their annual Saint Joseph's night assembly this past March, police apparently attacked the Mardi Gras Indians and roughed some people up. But those issues had to wait for the first order of business. The chief of police reported that due to neglect over the past thirty years, the communications tower atop the police station is corroding away. The summertime storms are posing a threat to the city’s police, fire and EMT communications, so $350,000.00 in funds were approved to fix the tower. Homeland Security, which also uses the communications tower, did not provide federal funding for their spying operations. Councilwoman Jacquelyn Brechtel, who had brought up the motion, almost climbed over her desk to smile and shake the cop’s hands after it passed. This established a firm presence of police support, both socially and financially, at the beginning of the session.

Next, the City Council invited the police to speak first regarding the Mardi Gras Indians incidents. They mentioned that there had been some “miscommunications” regarding the New Orleans Police and the Indians. There were no specific repercussions for these “miscommunications,” but they had added eight hours of training to the Police Academy for cultural sensitivity training. One hour was to focus on the traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians specifically. They gave no explanation of how this would affect officers who have already gone through the academy. When pressed by City Council members to define who would conduct this training, they explained that it would likely be someone already in the department, in conjunction with the Human Rights Commission, who *might* get outside input.

Following the police, the City Council opened the mike to the list of speakers representing the Mardi Gras Indians and other folks. There was a list compiled by one of the organizers, and they were called in order to speak. The first speaker was late, so another woman went ahead. She was a representative of a neighborhood council and self-defined as an activist. She made an elaborate call for respect and cooperation from the police, which was followed by applause from the audience.

Rev. Dwight Webster, the missing initial speaker, arrived as this neighborhood activist was finishing. His lengthy presentation reviewed the many cultural and political aspects of the Mardi Gras Indians traditions, specifically honoring the escaped slaves and the many sympathetic Native American Tribes who often harbored these liberated people. He spoke about the use of Congo Square in the past hundreds of years as a black market and gathering center, but the Native American use of it thousands of years ago as sacred burial grounds. Essentially, the Reverend established firm case for the cultural significance as a key to libratory history for black New Orleans residents.

One councilman asked a question regarding the tendency of new resisdents or those not familiar with local black culture to misunderstand the traditions, which the Reverent used as an opportunity for more public education. Councilwoman Renee' Gill Pratt asked why it was referred to as a ‘parade,’ since it has never been a parade. She mentioned going to the events as a child and described the event as roaming through the neighborhoods. Reverend Webster confirmed that and emphasized the need for the Mardi Gras Indians to celebrate their traditions in the way that they choose. This was very clearly a renunciation of any permitting process and a demand for freedom for the people to celebrate as they choose.

Mayor Nagin stepped in at this point, to tell his story of watching the Mardi Gras Indians as a youth and his respect for this tradition. He reinforced the police version of the Saint Joseph’s Night Assembly incidents as a misunderstanding. The rallying call, “Not under my watch,” was made, as the Mayor insisted that these misunderstandings would not take place again. Two men sitting near me both called out “It’s BEEN happening!” But the Mayor continued, emphasizing the value of the Indians to tourists, residents and others. Tourists first. Seriously.

The next slated speaker was Chief Pepe-tan, who called for all the Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs to rise. They stood in the crowd and then made their way forward to surround the podium. They asked for the “Godfather of the Chiefs,” the Chief of Chiefs, Chief Allison ‘Tootie’ Montana was called forth to speak. With 83 years under his belt, this man came to the podium and reviewed interactions with the police over the past 52 years he’s been involved. Tootie astutely blew holes in all of Mayor Nagin’s exhortations by describing the police violence he has seen and experienced over his many years as Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas Tribe. He spoke about police tightening their billy-club straps as the Indians approached and his tribe’s strategy of simply walking through lines of police attempting to block their path. He spoke about a cop repeatedly trying to swing a club at his 10 year-old relative’s head and the young boy just barely missing a brutal skull injury. His last words were “This has got to stop,” and he turned from the podium, slumping towards the floor.

The other Chiefs caught him as the whole room gasped. According to Christopher Burton, recent Douglass High School graduate, two Douglass student activists with Teens With Attitude, Dominique and Victor, were the first to perform CPR on the fallen Chief, as the EMTs took about 12 minutes to arrive. These young folks were ready to support the community in its hour of need, when the entire City Council couldn’t summon an ambulance from a hospital 2 blocks away. The Mardi Gras Indian community pulled together to support Tootie and his wife in these important moments. She was quite upset, crying at various points, “Just let me see him,” since others had kept her away from him as people performed CPR. Several of the City Council people had disappeared, as well as Mayor Nagin, who I couldn’t see anywhere. Councilman John A. Batt, Jr. distinguished himself by respectfully standing with his hands folded, as many others gaped in the background. Insensitive newsmen covering the event rushed to videotape the Chief’s last moments until a city official of some type asked them to step back.

After the EMTs and family members left with Tootsie on a stretcher, the City Council resumed to officially adjourn the rest of the meeting. City Council President Oliver Thomas requested a moment of silence and then read a prayer for the Chief and his family. Against the essence of everything the Chief and the previous speakers had stated, Councilman Thomas asked that now, if never before in the city’s history, hopefully this moment could bring everyone together – “black and white, rich and poor” He said “Maybe this is the moment that can bring New Orleans together like never before." Following this strange closure, people filed out of the building, exchanging hugs and unity.

On the streets outside, a much different version of the proceedings took shape. A group of young activists gathered in a circle to discuss the events. Several young militant activists spoke against the continuing violence of the state. Others paired up to discuss and comfort one another. On local elder activist clarified that Tootie had been ill for months and had specially come out to speak against this police brutality. This activist explained “He gave his life for his demands. That’s dying with your boots on!”

For more information about Tootie and his long, colorful life, please visit “He's The Prettiest: A Tribute To Big Chief Allison "Tootie" Montana's 50 Years Of Mardi Gras Indian Suiting” http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Virtual_Books/Hes_Prettiest/hes_the_prettiest_tootie_montana.html

For a shallower look at this City Council Meeting, visit
http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_06.html#066600