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Allie Redhorse Young, a Diné activist and cowgirl at heart, is the founder of Protect the Sacred, which educates and empowers the next generation of Native leaders with the goal of strengthening Indigenous sovereignty. Her “Ride to the Polls” initiative will help Native American youth vote in the 2024 election—while also connecting to their cultural heritage.
I was born into my Diné culture first and foremost, but I was also born a cowgirl. I grew up on a “rez ranch” in Northern Navajo Nation surrounded by cattle and horses, and I come from a long line of bull riders. Learning the cowgirl way of life through an Indigenous perspective—and even more, learning that the cowgirl way of life is Indigenous—informed my upbringing and helped me better understand who I am and where I come from.
Some of my favorite memories as a little girl involve clouds of red dust rising beneath my horse’s hooves, as my father and I both rode through the glowing mesas of our homeland. Our trail rides were more like life lessons. Every stride strengthened my connection to my horse and my ancestors. I came to deeply appreciate Shimá Náhásdzáán, or Mother Earth, and all her animals. In so many ways, riding horses helps restore a delicate spiritual balance.
Cowgirl culture has found a new home in contemporary movies, music, and fashion. But sometimes the suede fringe jackets and high-heeled boots feel more like accessories than historic symbols of family, labor, and tradition. While it’s exciting to see our lifestyle celebrated, it’s important to recognize what’s at risk of being forgotten. Not only were Indigenous peoples instrumental in shaping the cowgirl way of life—our ancestors were the original cowgirls.
Indigenous peoples were some of the first horsewomen and men in this country, and our traditions continue to influence riding culture today. By acknowledging this, we honor the deep roots of Indigenous communities, and the many ways our land and animals have shaped society since time immemorial.
In 2020, my organization Protect the Sacred, which advocates for the Native vote, started a Ride to the Polls initiative to mobilize Indigenous voters with horseback rides to polling places across Navajo Nation. When you mount a horse, you become one with its strength and awareness. Horses know every curve of the land, and that transfers to you, the rider. In turn, you become connected to Mother Earth. Our riders took that mentality to the polls, keeping in mind that the decisions they make could impact their communities for years to come.
Ride to the Polls was about showing the world that Indigenous cowgirls, or as we say, “Indian Cowgirls,” are still here. We are active participants in democracy, and we’re using the traditions of our ancestors to fight for a better tomorrow. The imagery of Indigenous peoples riding horses to vote is a powerful one. It connects us to the past, while also making a statement about our determination to shape the future.
In Navajo Nation and other reservation communities, young people are continuing to embrace the legacies of their past by riding horses, competing in rodeos, and fostering relationships with the land. From barrel racing to bull riding, Indigenous youth are rediscovering ways to express their love for the lifestyle and connect with their heritage.
Several months ago, Ride to the Polls organized a rodeo event called Ride for Democracy Bull Riding to help register voters in Arizona. We had 24 young Indigenous bull riders competing for a $2,000 prize, plus a championship buckle that read “Ride for Democracy Bull Riding,” and had “1924” etched at the bottom—a nod to the year Native Americans were finally granted citizenship in their ancestral homelands. Our mission combined my love for cowgirl culture and my commitment to social justice.
On Tuesday, November 5, Protect the Sacred will lead our second Election Day Trail Ride in Arizona from El Capitan Rock to a nearby polling location. All riders are welcome to join, even if they’ve voted early. The ride is about showing the world our power and influence. By riding for democracy, we remember our ancestors who rode these same trails.
To really understand cowgirl culture, we must look past Hollywood’s problematic portrayals of gun-toting white men wrangling cows and frequenting saloons. Long before European colonizers arrived in the Americas, Indigenous peoples were expert riders, hunters, herders, and herbalists who lived in relationship with the world around them.
When horses were first introduced in the Americas by Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, we quickly mastered horsemanship and helped it become a central part of life. Indigenous communities also perfected the art of roping and breaking wild horses—skills that would become vital in the cattle industry, especially in Texas where ranching remains a cornerstone of the economy.
From the start, our Indigenous ancestors knew how important it was to develop deep relationships with animals. To this day, we are taught from a young age that we are actually related to our horses, as well as all other inhabitants of Mother Earth. Horses are not just tools for survival, but more more like companions and guides. We call this “horse medicine.”
For me and many other young Indigenous peoples, cowgirl culture isn’t just an aesthetic or a hobby—it’s a way of life. It’s a part of who we are. And we’re determined to make sure it is protected.
The contributions of Native peoples to the cowgirl way of life have been invisible for far too long, and it’s time for that to change. If you’re a fan of cowgirl culture, take the time to learn about its Indigenous roots. Support Native artists, rodeo athletes, and activists working to preserve this special heritage. Help amplify our voices, and make space for us in conversations about cowgirl culture. This isn’t just our history, it’s American history.
Protecting cowgirl culture means standing with Indigenous peoples. It means supporting efforts to preserve our sovereignty. As we continue to fight for our rights, we are voting to reclaim our place in the story of the American West—and with every ride, I hope the world remembers the true origins of cowgirl culture. Let’s continue to recognize cowgirl culture for what it is: a tradition deeply rooted in Indigenous ancestral knowledge, survival, resilience, and strength.
Allie Young is a citizen of the Diné Navajo Nation from the Northern Agency of the reservation in Northern New Mexico. She is a storyteller and writer on a mission to increase the authentic representation of Native Americans in TV, film, and mainstream media by sharing the stories and traditions of her people that helped and continue to help them persevere in a world where they are largely invisible, underrepresented and misrepresented. She founded Protect the Sacred, a grassroots organization that focuses on educating and empowering the next generation of Navajo and Indian Country leaders, including powerful initiatives like Ride to the Polls ahead of the 2020 election. Through Protect the Sacred, she makes certain the Native voice is at the table and in every conversation, especially the voices of Indigenous youth and womxn. It is her objective to ensure that the stories of her people are no longer his story – the fabricated American narrative perpetuated in textbooks and Hollywood Westerns. Instead, they will be authentic and from the original peoples, the original storytellers of this land.