"MAROON QUEEN Cherice Harrison-Nelson"

Black Masking Indian culture or “maroon heritage,” the term preferred by Maroon Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson, has lived on since the late 18th century, recalling the overlap of indigenous and enslaved African peoples in maroon communities in rural Louisiana. Since its inception this tradition has been predominantly represented by men with each group led by a Big Chief. To be a queen in this work, according to Queen Cherice’s late father Donald Harrison Sr., is to be “... a mere embellishment. If a chief is pretty, he is prettier with a queen.”

But Queen Cherice’s life work has been more than mere embellishment. As an educator, visual artist, arts administrator, activist, actor, co-founder and curator of the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame, her role of queendom has been joyous, but weighted, as it is a load often carried alone. 

Maroon Queen honors the living legacy of Cherice Harrison-Nelson of the Guardians of the Flame, as an anchor in stewarding this tradition. As she retires from this role, who will step to the throne in archiving this work, immortalizing the past of our ancestors and fueling the dreams of our future?