Victor Harris, the Spirit of Fi-Yi-Yi, remains one of the most recognizable big chiefs in the Mardi Gras Indian Nation. His style is unique in everything he pursues—the designing, the songs, the exuberant way he engages a crowd. Foremost are his magnificent beaded suits and masks that honor African culture and his love of nature.

“Truly I’m a walking spirit,” says Harris. “When people see the Spirit of Fi-Yi-Yi they feel good. They rise. I am who I am in and out of the suit.”

When Harri...