The official launch for our project took place at Marshall Middle School on Friday October 25, 1996. Joining the one hundred and fifty students and faculty were several Mardi Gras Indians: Donald Harrison, Sr. of the Guardians of the Flame, Ferdinand Bigard, Sr. of the Cheyennes, and drummer Luther Gray. There on the stage,to the beating of a drum, the students and the Indians signed an agreement to work together, share their experiences, and learn from one another. As they marched through the halls, computers were named after the two tribes and dedicated to them. A reception followed in the school library where the students were able to speak with the chiefs. At the end of the festivities, Chief Bigard presented the school with two of his beautifully handcrafted beadings.

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