On Mardi Gras day in New Orleans, if you're lucky or in the know, you can see a dazzling procession of Mardi Gras Indians, or Black Masking Indians, marching through the streets, resplendent in suits that are covered in beads, feathers, and rhinestones.
"The makers of the suits work on them all year long for the display on Mardi Gras day," correspondent Bill Whitaker told 60 Minutes Overtime. "And they are elaborate, and meticulous, and colorful, and beautiful."
The suits worn by big chiefs, the leaders of the so-called tribes, are often the most detailed and impressive, and that's by design. But the big chiefs aren't the only revelers who get dressed up.
On Mardi Gras morning, Whitaker and the 60 Minutes team met Elenora Brown, better known as Big Queen Rukiya, who masks with the Golden Eagles tribe. Queen Rukiya revealed her stunning sea green suit, covered in feathers, intricate bead work, a banner emblazoned with the words "America," and rhinestone alligators hiding in the sleeves.
"I tell the people the story of the alligator, and how we lived, and how he took care of us, and fed us… clothes, shoes. And he is a sacred symbol of Louisiana," the big queen told Whitaker.

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