Chief of Chiefs: Robert Nathaniel Lee and the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans, 1915-2001

A glimpse into the legacy of the chief of chiefs.

Robert Nathanial Lee, known as Chief Robbe, was the first and only person to be named chief of chiefs by the Mardi Gras Indian Council. From his birth in 1915, Chief Robbe faced hardship and discrimination, but he always found a way to do what he believed in. By the end of his life in 2001, he had been the Big Chief of four different tribes, given a lecture at Yale University, and become a role model for generations of New Orleans black youth. Author Al Kennedy enhances the story of Chief Robbe’s life with extensive detail and interviews from their personal relationship, creating a biography perfect for both New Orleanians and those who simply love the city.