Big Chief Victor Harris works on his suit for Mardi Gras 2012. Photo by Kim Welsh

Big Chief Victor Harris of the Fi-Yi-Yi Mardi Gras Indians has been masking for half a century.

As chief of the Fi-Yi-Yi, also called the Mandingo Warriors, one of the city’s most Africa-centric tribes, Harris has been an important community pillar for the past five decades.

In honor of this important anniversary, a celebration is set for this Saturday in the Georges Auditorium at Dillard University from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. It will feature music, dance, and public recognitions of Harris’ contributions to his tribe and community.

The Victor Harris Committee will sponsor the ceremony, along with the Backstreet Cultural Museum, the renowned Treme collection of memorabilia related to Mardi Gras Indians, second lines, and African American culture in New Orleans.

The afterparty will be held at the Mother-in-Law Lounge.