28-02-2025
Keyshawn Whitehorse is a star on the rodeo circuit. But he's Navajo first and always.
Keyshawn Whitehorse says a prayer in his Navajo language before he rides a bull competitively.
'It keeps me grounded in who I am and where I come from,' he said.
Whitehorse, 27, will be competing in this weekend's Professional Bull Riders "Unleash the Beast" event at Fiserv Forum against more than 30 of the best bull riders in the world. Ranked 11th on the PBR circuit, he thinks he has a good chance to move up this weekend and maybe even win the championship in May in Fort Worth.
More than just a top rider, he is the biggest star among a handful of Indigenous riders in a sport that is growing nationally, and has a rich Native history. Whitehorse wears a Navajo medallion that his grandmother gave him, and other regalia that reflects his heritage. The native of McCracken Spring, Utah, has amassed a large following of Native fans, especially in the West and Southwest, and is hoping to bring in Indigenous fans in Wisconsin with his stop this weekend.
More: PBR, Professional Bull Riders, returns to Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum this weekend. Here's what to know.
'I thank God put this sport in me to do something with it in a way that's more than just helping myself,' Whitehorse said. 'I have things I want to accomplish, but I also ride to give not only Navajo but all Native people someone to cheer for.'
Growing up on the Navajo Reservation — which includes parts of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico — the rodeo scene and Western culture has been in his blood. Whitehorse's uncle and grandfather tended livestock in what is known as Navajoland, the largest reservation in the United States. He started with riding sheep when he was 5 years old before moving on to larger animals. His first big bull ride was during a rodeo Bible camp when he was 12.
'As Native folks, we've always taken care of animals,' Whitehorse said.
Between rodeos, he speaks at schools on reservations and hopes to do more with young people once his career has calmed down a little. Whitehorse said his most important advice to children is that they believe in themselves wholeheartedly in whatever they want to do.
'You're worthy enough to do it,' he said. 'You didn't have those thoughts or dreams for nothing.'
Whitehorse said he tells youths that it's also important to always remember who they are and where they came from as they're pursuing their dreams — even if those dreams take them away from home.
'It's not about trying to get kids off the reservation and forgetting the reservation,' he said. 'They can make a career for themselves off the reservation, but home's always going to be home.'
In a sport dominated by white country culture it can be easy to want to assimilate and be like everyone else while competing, but Whitehorse embraces and celebrates his culture.
'When I'm out there I'm always going to look different than everyone else,' he said. 'My point of view is going to be different. But it's about being proud in being different in those moments.'
Indigenous people have been involved with rodeos since its inception around 1570, according to researchers with the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences.
Early cowboys were called vaqueros, who were mixed Mexican Indigenous and Spanish, American Indigenous and Black. They were employed by cattle ranchers and would display their skills, such as roping or wrestling cattle, as part of social or business events.
These displays later drew crowds of spectators, mostly European American immigrants, and the rodeo became popularized, notably through attractions such as Buffalo Bill's Wild West Shows.
It wasn't until after World War I that white promoters monopolized the sport and excluded non-white athletes for decades.
But Indigenous rodeo athletes responded by forming their own coalitions, such as the Central Navajo Rodeo Association and the All Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association.
Non-white athletes were gradually more accepted in many rodeo associations and Indigenous rodeo riders made their mark. Some of the prominent Indigenous rodeo athletes of the 20th century include Chris LeDoux (Cherokee) who also was a country music singer, Jackson Sundown (Nez Perce), Jim Shoulders (Cherokee) and Shawn Best II (Colville).
Other top Indigenous rodeo athletes today include Cody Jesus (Navajo) and Stetson Lawrence (Chippewa and Sioux). And 17-year-old female bull riding sensation Najiah Knight (Paiute) dreams of being the first woman to make the PBR circuit.
Whitehorse has been competing at a high level for the last 10 years, and on at PBR events since 2018. He has 29 event wins, total earnings of $1.15 million and is part of the Arizona Ridge Riders team.
'PBR has the best in the world with the caliber of bulls and the riders,' he said. 'I don't want to go anywhere else but the best.'
Whitehorse said a ride can be rough or smooth depending on the caliber of the bull. But those eight seconds are anything but predictable.
'Other times, you're just making sure you survive the next jump and when you do you're wondering how you stood on and you keep saying to yourself, 'Just one more jump',' he said.
Round 1 of the event will be Saturday at 7:45 p.m., and Round 2 and the championship round will be Sunday at 1:45 p.m., at Fiserv Forum.
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Frank Vaisvilas is a former Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact him at fvaisvilas@ or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Navajo rodeo star coming to Milwaukee trying to grow Indigenous base
