‘It’s just something I crave’: a young Native American finds her home in rodeo
For some Native Americans – particularly those who belong to federally unrecognized tribes without reservations – rodeos offer a way to stay connected to their culture and community
Words and photos by Eli Imadali
Rodeo is everywhere in Keira Simonson’s life. It’s in the 22-year-old’s kitchen as a team picture pinned to the fridge. It’s hanging in her bathroom as a horse-themed towel. It’s decorating her truck floor as muddy boots with spurs attached. It’s her weekends and her escape.
As an enrolled member of the more than 4,500-strong Little Shell Chippewa Tribe of Montana – which was, until recently, federally unrecognized and without a designated reservation – Simonson often felt removed from the larger Native American community and its culture. But rodeos have become her way of staying connected.