Fire in the Hole: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors ed. by Rachel Breunlin (review)

The Black Masking Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans are one of the city's most photogenic cultural traditions. Their eye-catching garments, with color-saturated plumes, feathers, and intricate beadwork, are featured on magnets, postcards, and prints for sale in souvenir shops. Photographers search for Black Indians on the streets of the city on Mardi Gras morning and again on St. Joseph's night. They jockey for space to grab snapshots at Super Sundays, public gatherings when Black Indian "tribes" perform their signature chants, customary choreographed greetings, and dance battles. But few outside the community appreciate the intricate web of relationships within a tribe, are privy to their history, or have witnessed the creation of a full mask, called a "suit." Fire in the Hole: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors, offers readers the story of one tribe—Fi Yi Yi¹—via the voices of its members, particularly its iconic founder, Victor Harris, who has created more than fifty suits and is currently the longest-masking Black Indian in New Orleans. Edited by Rachel Breunlin, this book features photographs by the tribe's official image documentarian, UNO anthropology professor Jeffrey David Ehrenreich, who has worked with Fi Yi Yi for almost two decades.

Written as a "collaborative ethnography" that foregrounds the voices of Fi Yi Yi's members and supporters, Fire in the Hole differs from a typical art historical or ethnographic publication. Rather than a main narrative offered by an outsider—such as an anthropologist, ethnomusicologist, or historian—the community's culture bearers tell their own stories. As art historian Cynthia Becker explains,

In academic journals … scholarship typically comes from Western-trained cultural outsiders who engage in on-the-ground research to learn about a specific artistic tradition. Although scholars might spend years in discussion with the artists, rarely do we hear the voices of the artist-practitioners themselves"

(p. 186).

The oral histories in the book have been arranged and edited into narratives that explain the formation of Fi Yi Yi, their connection to community activism, as well as the design inspirations and intensive labor that go into creating their dazzling hand-sewn suits. The book is part of the Neighborhood Story Project, a New Orleans-based nonprofit collaborative ethnography organization that has partnered with the University of New Orleans. Since 2004, the Neighborhood Story Project has published more than fifteen books committed to documenting the culture of New Orleans and southern Louisiana more broadly by highlighting local voices, which brings its own challenges. As anthropologist Helen Regis reveals,

I think one of the hardest things is trying to think about how the stories will read to someone who doesn't know New Orleans. There's so much insider talk. We have our own language for masking, parading, sewing, and the layers upon layers of relationships can be hard to untangle (p. 188).

But the book triumphs in its goal. The stories are easy to follow, even for those not familiar with New Orleans culture.

Fire in the Hole: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors is arranged chronologically and begins with the group's founding story. Chapters have descriptive titles and useful section headings that guide readers (such as "The Pain of Change," "In Search of Healing," and "Jack Joins the Table"). The main protagonist is Victor Harris, originally a member of the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters tribe under the city's most famous Big Chief, "Tootie" Montana. However, Harris (along with his buddy Collins "Coach" Lewis) were kicked out of the group in 1984 due to a dispute about singing the tribe's chants on a commercial recording, which was perceived by Montana and other members as a betrayal because Harris and Lewis had not first asked for permission. Although...