Alton Armstrong works quietly, alone and in secret, as if he's on a spiritual journey.

He creates his Mardi Gras Indian costumes behind closed doors in his north Lafayette home. No one sees his grandiose, larger-than-life costumes until Fat Tuesday.

Lafayette's Big Chief honors the tradition, a way of life he has enjoyed since his childhood. He spends time and treasure on his passion, and now he wants to share not only his creation but a uniquely Acadiana tradition with others.

At 61, Armstrong is working hard to bring back the traditional black Mardi Gras costume that has its roots in Acadiana.

They are simple and beautiful traditional costumes, ones that center on masks that hide identities, and broad, square headdresses with streamers. These creations differ greatly from the more flamboyant New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians costumes, which have dominated annual competitions in Acadiana since the 1990s.

Armstrong sees the beauty in the Acadiana tradition, and hopes to inspire others to embrace it as well.

"I’ve seen Mardi Gras in the black community really vanish," he said.

And so Armstrong is doing his part to bring a younger generation into the experience. His 6-year-old grandson is intrigued by the intricate designs but he's too young just yet to help make costumes.

Armstrong has made it a point to involve his other grandchildren, who are now in high school. But as they got older, they dropped the tradition all together.

"This is something I wish I could pass on to kids who are interested in doing something like this," he said.

Honoring a friendship

The history of the Mardi Gras Indian stems from the friendships forged in the 19th Century between slaves who escaped their oppression and Native Americans living in Louisiana. Over time, the cultures began to intertwine, creating a new masking tradition that surfaced during carnival season.

There are no set rules for what a Mardi Gras Indian costume needs, at least not in Lafayette. Most men work alone on their outfits, unsure of what to expect each year.

"The designing is different every year," Armstrong said. "No two costumes are alike."

Because every outfit is made by hand, chief outfits take the better part of a year to complete and can cost thousands. Armstrong spends well over $1,000 on his chief outfits. They usually involve decorated shoes, shin plates, apron, chest plate, cape, forearm guards, and headdress.

An outfit theme will come to Armstrong out of the blue and he'll get right to work, no sketches necessary.

"They're in my head somewhere. As I work with it, it comes out," he said.

Beads, feathers, and sequins are integral parts of a typical New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian suit, as well as some of the Lafayette versions. Other materials used includes cardboard and pipe cleaners. Bottle caps and seashells. Bells and whistles, literally.

In the past, Armstrong's themes have varied from "crawfish," "alligator," "accordion," to "good time bad time." Last year his traditional Mardi Gras outfit featured a Sherlock theme.

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The costume he brags most about is his "love" costume, aka his Chief of Chiefs outfit. Bright yellow feathers coming out at every angle, and with a headdress that soars three feet above him.

"Nothing like this can be done overnight," he said.

Lafayette's traditional Mardi Gras costumes take a few months and cost hundreds of dollars, a more affordable price than the over-the-top costumes associated with the New Orleans Indians. The traditional suits are far less intricate, too — an apron, cape, chest plate, and a square, flat headpiece, adorned with streamers.

The most important piece is a wire mask with a haunting painted face.

Either costumes can be created for a competition on Fat Tuesday. The costumes often take on a life of their own, and the process of creating one takes on a spiritual quality, Armstrong said.

"When you’re the prettiest one, you get bragging rights," Armstrong said. "But me, being Chief of Chiefs, I don’t think about competition. I just do my thing."

Embracing the tradition

From the 1940s until the early 1980s, traditional Lafayette Mardi Gras outfits were worn, long before New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian costumes started to appear in Acadiana.

Armstrong has been dressing up for Mardi Gras since 1969. When he was 10, he remembers seeing his older cousin in full traditional garb. That summer, Armstrong cut lawns, making enough to create his own outfit so he could join the festivities.

"I saved up my few pennies and started doing it with bigger groups," he said.

The largest group he joined was in the late 1970s, with 15 members.

After about a decade of creating costumes and participating in Mardi Gras, Armstrong moved away for a few years. When he came back to his hometown neighborhood of McComb, he noticed everyone had adopted the New Orleans Indian wear.

The men started to make New Orleans Indian costumes because they appreciated the different style. But Armstrong missed the uniquely Acadiana tradition, one he hopes more men will embrace as a unique practice that defines this area's experience.

"You can see I was still getting into the Mardi Gras Indian wear here," Armstrong said as he held a photo with the date 1995. In the picture, he still had on a traditional wire mask but the rest of his costume was large and feathery.

In the early years, the traditional outfits are coupled with competitions. Masking and parading was a time to settle grudges. Now it’s all about the prettiness, like a peacock showing its tail feathers.

However, Armstrong remembers a time when he was a child, seeing opposing groups face off. Instead of fighting, a member from one group would approach and kneel to the prettiest member of the other group in a display of respect and honor.

But it wasn't always fun and games. There was a time when traditional groups practiced their tradition despite laws passed banning whips from Mardi Gras celebrations, Armstrong said. The groups would weave in and out of parades, whips in hand just in case anyone tried pulling at their attire.

The groups also carried bamboo canes for the same purpose, with streamers that matched each mans outfit. Once they stepped foot in downtown Lafayette, police would confiscate their whips and canes.

Some members would wear gloves, so every inch of their skin was covered. At times, they would be asked to remove their gloves to reveal the color their skin.

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There were designated times, not official but known to most, for groups to come out in costume. Typically the younger ones would show up after lunch once all the older men had celebrated a bit too much and retired home for an afternoon nap.

"We don’t need that today. Just the beauty," Armstrong said.

Back then groups were large, averaging 20 members. There were various groups from different neighborhoods made up of friends, relatives, or neighbors. This is part of the traditional Mardi Gras that Armstrong remembers and wants to bring back.

Also maybe causing some havoc downtown during the parades, this time without the whips and canes.

Contact Victoria Dodge at vdodge@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @Victoria_Dodge