New Orleans’ oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief and former Oakland resident, Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio, was laid to rest with a huge traditional jazz funeral in the historic Treme neighborhood earlier this month.
Blazio, 82, who had been experiencing health issues in recent years, died at his Seventh Ward home on June 17.
A New Orleans culture bearer, Blazio moved to Oakland in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina flooded his Seventh Ward home. He brought many Crescent City traditions with him to the West Coast, and was the grand marshal of the annual Oakland Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras parade with local bands M.J.’s Brass Boppers and the Blue Bone Express.
Chief Hatchet also sometimes performed with the Boppers at local clubs, banging his tambourine and singing traditional Mardi Gras Indian songs like “Indian Red.” He loved music, and would make sure to attend when New Orleans’ Rebirth Brass Band, The Soul Rebels or Trombone Shorty played in town.
Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio of the Wild Apache Mardi Gras Indian tribe takes the stage at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 2005. Later that year, Hurricane Katrina hit and Blazio was displaced and moved to Oakland. He made his suit in 2003. (Courtesy of Ray Blazio)
Blazio was a bridge between Oakland and New Orleans, and several of his Oakland friends made it to his celebration of life at the Treme Community Center, including the Bopper’s cofounders Michael “M.J.” Jones and Nate Cameron.
“The Big Chief’s wisdom, knowledge and authentic New Orleans spirit will be missed,” Cameron said.
Cameron, who moved back to New Orleans to become the tour and production manager for Grammy-nominated Tank and The Bangas, said he learned a lot from Blazio not only about New Orleans culture, but also about how Blacks unified and started the social aid and pleasure clubs, which provide support and assist those in need. Blazio also shared insight into the Black masking Indian tribes and collectives, and how they were influenced by Native Americans. He realized their role was not only to empower and educate the community, but to also celebrate it, Cameron said.
“Being a Mardi Gras Indian, you got to be determined, you got to have the time and you got to have that spirit,” Blazio told the Bay Area News Group in a 2010 interview. “It cost plenty of money and plenty of time; you’ve got to love it.”
Mardi Gras Indians began parading in New Orleans as far back as the mid-19th century, wearing colorful feather suits with elaborate beading influenced by Native American ceremonial outfits. The “masking” tradition originated from African Americans and Native Americans having the common bond of being minorities within a dominant culture.
The Mardi Gras Indians sew their own suits, which can cost as much as $5,000 and weigh up to 150 pounds.
“I started masking because of the love of it I had, and being around it so much,” Blazio said of wearing the iconic costumes. “I came up with it and I can never forget it. That’s my culture.”
Members of the legendary Treme Brass Band and the Black Men of Labor social aid and pleasure club, with their multicolored suit jackets and white gloves, led Blazio’s funeral procession as it wound its way through the historic neighborhood where Louis Armstrong and other musical greats grew up. Hundreds of people, including some Mardi Gras Indians who wore their suits despite the sweltering heat, formed what is known as the second line behind the family.
Blazio’s three daughters Renita, Yolanda and Rachelle Blazio grew up with the Mardi Gras Indian culture and embraced it from a young age. Renita began masking when she was 9, and still masks during Jazz Fest in New Orleans whenever she can make it down from her home in Dallas.
“He meant the world to us, and loved and provided for us,” Renita Blazio said of her father. “He taught me to be an authentic person and always help others.”
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Renita Blazio, right center, joins the Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club as the Treme Brass Band plays a dirge during the jazz funeral for her dad Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
As a youngster in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward, Blazio grew up around the fascinating Mardi Gras Indian culture. In 1961, when he was 21, he joined the Yellow Pocahontas tribe as Big Chief Tootie Montana’s flag boy, many say he was one of the best. In 1990, Blazio founded the Wild Apache tribe and was appointed Big Chief.
He remained active for many years, parading through the fairgrounds at City Park during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival each year and often performing songs on stage. He attended Indian practices up until his death.
The hundreds of people who turned out for Blazio’s funeral was a testament to his decades-long legacy and love of New Orleans and its Mardi Gras Indian culture. The procession flowed through Louis Armstrong Park, and made a stop at Montana’s statue to pay homage to Blazio’s mentor as the band played “Lil’ Liza Jane.”
As Blazio once said: “Everything is made for love.”
Click here if you’re unable to view the photos on your mobile device.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Members of the Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club carry the casket of Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio during a jazz funeral in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Carol Harris, “Baby Doll Kit,” of the N’Awlins D’Awlins Baby Dolls, right, dances with a Mardi Gras Indian during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: The Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club are followed by the Treme Brass Band during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: M.J.’s Brass Bopper’s co-founder and snare drum player Michael “M.J.” Jones hugs Emily Pagano, both of Oakland, during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio as they pass through Louis Armstrong Park in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: A Mardi Gras Indian is seen during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Yolanda Blazio, center, attends a jazz funeral for her dad Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: A Mardi Gras Indian, left, and Carol Harris, “Baby Doll Kit,” of the N’Awlins D’Awlins Baby Dolls, right, take part in a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Rachelle Blazio, center, and her sister Renita Blazio, right, join in with the Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club and the Treme Brass Band during a jazz funeral for their dad Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Thursday, July 14, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Mardi Gras Indians take part in a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Big Chief Victor Harris of the Fi-Yi-Yi tribe, right, and others take part in a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Mardi Gras Indian chief Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio, of Oakland, is the grand marshal during a Mardi Gras parade in downtown Oakland Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. Blazio founded the Wild Apache Indian tribe. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Rachelle Blazio, left, and her sister Renita Blazio, right, accompany the Treme Brass Band during a jazz funeral for their dad Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: A Mardi Gras Indian is seen during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: A Mardi Gras Indian and others sing Indian songs during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: The Treme Brass Band enter Louis Armstrong Park during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Fred Johnson, center, founder of the Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club, and others take part in a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: Members of the Treme Brass Band play during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio is photographed with his Mardi Gras Indian suits that he sewed at his home in New Orleans, La., on February 21, 2019. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: A member of the Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club takes part in a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULY 09: People follow the hearse down Rampart Street during a jazz funeral for Ray “Big Chief Hatchet” Blazio in New Orleans, La., on Saturday, July 9, 2022. Blazio, 82, who was the city’s oldest Mardi Gras Indian chief, died on June 17. He lived in Oakland for 13 years after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
