Indigenous peoples’ relationships with horses have evolved from hunting and warfare to work and racehorses. In 2017 the Calgary Stampede introduced ‘Indian Relay’ horse racing, and the sport has since exploded. The Pretty Young Man racing team from the Blackfoot Siksika Nation takes pride in their training operations. Blackfoot traditionally used horses to round up buffalo.

At Arizona’s San Carlos Reservation Rodeo, young kids start by riding sheep before they progress to calves and later bulls. Jay Begaye, Navajo horse whisperer, tames wild horses with traditional songs, a skill learned from his mother. Groups in both Navajo Country and Alberta work to save wild horses, rescuing them and finding adoptive homes. Horses help create community and strengthen the bonds of family relationships.

In Going Native, celebrated humorist and author Drew Hayden Taylor examines the stereotypes and traditions of Indigenous identity while discovering cool new ways Indigenous people are shaping their culture in the 21st century.