When Rosalie Fish was running as in 2019, she drew attention for competing with red paint in the shape of a handprint over her mouth and 鈥淢MIW鈥� on her leg as she ran for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIW/MMIWP). She had seen Jordan Marie Whetstone run with the same red handprint and MMIW and asked if she could follow her lead.

The has affected Fish personally. She is a survivor of violence and has run for specific women in her community who were murdered or missing.

Indigenous people face disproportionately high rates of murder, rape, and violent crime. A reports that 27 percent of U.S. women have been raped in their lifetimes. Among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women, that number is 43 percent. In 2019, was the seventh leading cause of death for AI/AN girls and women (ages 1鈥�54) and the fifth leading cause of death for boys and men.

Running for Justice

Fish is a member of the Cowlitz tribe and attended the Muckleshoot Tribal High School on the Muckleshoot Reservation. Running with paint was 鈥渕y first big leap into athletic activism,鈥� says Fish, a 22-year-old senior on the University of Washington cross-country team. 鈥淥ver time, I鈥檝e been able to develop and adjust the way that I advocate for Indigenous people through my platform as an athlete.鈥�

After dealing with a few injuries, Fish was happy to be healthy enough to compete for the Huskies this fall. She concluded her cross-country season as part of the Pac-12 Conference championship team and placed 48th out of 106 runners in the conference meet, covering the 6K course at Chambers Creek Regional Park near Tacoma in 20:45.7. She will continue to compete for the Huskies during the upcoming indoor and outdoor track seasons.

国产吃瓜黑料 of running, Fish has been recognized for the impact she鈥檚 made as an advocate. This fall, she accepted the Women鈥檚 Sports Foundation鈥檚 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award.

From Athlete to Advocate

After transferring to the University of Washington from Iowa Central Community College, Fish says, 鈥淚 put a lot of pressure on myself, like if I wasn鈥檛 able to run competitively, it would mean that I was letting my community down as far as advocacy goes.鈥� But then, she adds, 鈥淓xperiencing injuries when I did pushed me in a way that I was actually able to explore: How can I continue to advocate for my community in the ways that I鈥檓 physically not allowed to right now?鈥�

Fish steered her advocacy into direct service. She is finishing up her bachelor鈥檚 degree in social work and, as her practicum, is working as a MMIWP family advocate intern with , a social services nonprofit for Native women. She plans to return after she graduates. Her goal is to 鈥渃reate connections with the people that I鈥檓 hoping to represent and to get them the mics and the platforms to share their stories.鈥�

RELATED: Meet the Man Who Created a 200-Mile Race to Reconnect with His Ancestors

She also worked as an intern at the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Fish supported the creation of Washington State Patrol鈥檚 , which launched last year. People can sign up for alerts, similar to AMBER alerts.

Fish has been speaking publicly, including leading and visiting high schools and middle schools, particularly in areas with significant Native populations. 鈥淣ormally, I go there just to connect with youth in general, especially those who might relate to any mental health issues that they鈥檝e faced, being young students of color,鈥� she says. She also talks about the complexities of gender-based violence for students of color. 鈥淚 understand just how debilitating these societal issues are on youth self-image, and I try to connect with that shared experience in a way that can be empowering for them,鈥� she says.

Like many survivors of violence, Fish has post-traumatic stress disorder. 鈥淭rying to navigate that as an athlete, as a student, and especially as an activist and advocate has a huge impact on my life,鈥� she says.

Fish continues to run with paint on her face and body, but not every time she competes, because she wants to make sure it鈥檚 meaningful when she does. When she ran 12 miles as part of at the Downtown Yakima Mile, she ran with paint, and raised about $36,000 for the YWCA Yakima and survivors of domestic violence.

Access and Inclusion

As a Brooks Run Happy Advocate, Fish visits high schools across the state of Washington, especially tribal schools, spending time with track teams and giving each runner a free pair of running shoes.

鈥淩unning shoes are very inaccessible, especially in low-income communities of color, who are not able to spend $200 on a pair of high-quality shoes,鈥� Fish says. 鈥淏eing able to engage with Native youth in that way and give them the opportunity or the tools they need to give running a shot鈥攊t鈥檚 really rewarding.鈥�

Fish wants to make running more accessible and inclusive, particularly for Indigenous and LGBTQ people. 鈥淯nfortunately, I always felt like I was alone as a Native runner, let alone a queer native runner,鈥� she says. She hopes that 鈥渂eing unapologetically Indigenous and queer in everything that I do can send the message that not only do queer women of color belong in these spaces, but we deserve to be there, and we鈥檙e needed there because we bring so much to the table.鈥�

Courage and Leadership

The news that she鈥檇 been chosen for the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award came as a surprise to Fish.

鈥淚 was very humbled and very flattered,鈥� she says, adding that she has admired the Women鈥檚 Sports Foundation鈥檚 community service.

The award recognizes 鈥渟omeone who exhibits extraordinary courage in their athletic performance, demonstrates the ability to overcome adversity, makes significant contributions to sports, and serves as a role model.鈥� Fish plans to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in social work.

RELATED: Callie Vinson Believes in Herself

鈥淲hat makes听Rosalie听deserving of one of WSF鈥檚 highest honors is her persistence, resilience and bold determination to get society to pay attention to a crisis often cast to the shadows鈥攖he Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic鈥攁s well as her desire to be a face of change for a safer, more just world,鈥� says Women鈥檚 Sports Foundation CEO Danette Leighton. 鈥淩osalie听is an inspiration on the track, the classroom and beyond, and WSF is proud to support her and the remarkable work she is doing.鈥�

In 2022, Fish was one of 58 college students nationwide named a听 for her leadership, public service, and academic achievement. She was the first UW student-athlete to receive that scholarship.

Fish also gets recognized on a smaller scale. When she originally signed with Iowa Central Community College, she became the first student from her high school to sign a letter of intent for college athletics. Recently, while attending her brother鈥檚 high school football game, she says, 鈥淥ne of the middle schoolers came up to me and asked me if I was Rosalie Fish. And I said, 鈥榊es I am.鈥� And she said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e my idol.鈥� It was just that moment where I realized I could be doing something as simple as cheering on my brother at a football game鈥攚hich is not a moment where I feel like I鈥檓 being a leader鈥攂ut girls like her remind me that every single step and every action that I take matters, because whether I can see it or not, I am leading.鈥�

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At a young age, Phillip Kwa鈥檋an Espinoza witnessed the destructive forces of drugs, alcohol, and imprisonment, a fate he was determined to avoid for himself.

Espinoza transformed his life鈥檚 trajectory by embracing running to sever the cycle of family trauma. Now, as an ultrarunner and race director, he is committed to shaping connections between the trail running and Native communities in Southern California. In this process, he founded 鈥攁n organization that seamlessly joins athleticism with cultural restoration.

The 鈥淩ed Road鈥� represents a symbolic path from , an Oglala Lakota Medicine Man (1863-1950) that guides individuals toward living harmoniously with their community and the natural world. A few notable red road guardrails include connection with nature, respect for all life forms, balance, humility, gratitude, and a commitment to non-violence and peace. Conversely, the 鈥淏lack Road鈥� is a path of addiction, greed, insatiable desires, arrogance, dishonesty, and revenge.

A Trail of Rediscovery

Espinoza, 35, was raised on the Mesa Grande Indian Reservation, a pocket of the country where poverty, drug abuse, and alcoholism are common. Early on, Espinoza knew he wanted a different path. Espinoza focused on a sobriety journey after having family members incarcerated and watching cousins die in their 30s from liver cirrhosis. Living the generational trauma of his tribal community, he consciously broke the harmful cycle of those before him.

As a member of the Kumeyaay tribe, he is part of a community with a rich history that covers a vast area in Riverside and San Diego counties, including the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains.

Espinoza, who lives in Anza, about an hour southeast of Riverside, later discovered an ancestral connection with running through his great uncle Alfonso Soto鈥檚 escape from a boarding school in the early 1900s.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 always a runner,鈥� Espinoza says. 鈥淚 have a story about my great uncle Alfonso Soto, who was forcibly taken to a boarding school in Riverside. It was about 90 miles away from his home, and he ran away from that school鈥攈e ran back home.鈥�

鈥淎nd that story was circulated in my family for a long time,鈥� he adds. 鈥淲hen thinking about it, 鈥楧o I have any runners in my family?鈥� I couldn鈥檛 really find any in the current generation. So, I look back a little bit further. And that鈥檚 when I remembered my great uncle, Alfonso Soto鈥檚 story about him running away, and I recreated that run in 2013.鈥�

Motivated by his family history, Espinoza committed a year to training in preparation to recreate his uncle鈥檚 journey back home.

Espinoza embarked on a three-day spirit run, tracing his great uncle鈥檚 path from the historic Sherman Indian School in Riverside to the serene landscapes of Mesa Grande. It was an homage to his family鈥檚 struggles and a guide towards a future where running would keep him on a healing path.

Creating the San Diego 200

For years, Espinoza had been mulling the idea of running a 200-mile loop around San Diego, the Kumeyaay Indigenous land. He wanted the route to showcase the natural beauty of San Diego, from the stunning coastline to the peaks of Cuyamaca.

鈥淚 created this route entirely from memory with no watch or GPS assistance,鈥� Espinoza says. 鈥淭his event showcases what special beauty we have here and provides a life-changing experience for the select few brave enough to accept the challenge.鈥�

In November 2020, Espinoza completed the run around San Diego, finishing in 61.5 hours. Beyond the physical feat, this run held a profound cultural significance.

鈥淭hat was the first time anybody鈥檚 done a 200-miler around San Diego,鈥� Kwa鈥檋an Espinoza says. 鈥淚 know 200-mile races are kind of popular these days. But my thing has always been that Indigenous people have a long history of long-distance running. My purpose with running became a personal mission to revive it as part of our culture in Southern California.鈥�

After the experience, he opened it up to a limited number of individuals who could participate in the 鈥攆rom Escondido to Torrey Pines, Torrey Pines to downtown Chula Vista. From there, runners trek east to Alpine and Descanso before ascending the peaks of Cuyamaca. The route continues to the historic town of Julian, looping through San Isabel and Mesa Grande until returning to the start point.

Indigenous Diversity and Bridging Communities

Kwa鈥檋an Espinoza’s running journey is deeply rooted in his desire to reconnect Native communities with running and diversify the sport.

鈥淭here are these efforts to highlight and include more Indigenous runners,鈥� Kwa鈥檋an Espinoza explains. 鈥淭here are talks about, 鈥榃ell, how do you diversify ultrarunning?鈥� It鈥檚 a really long conversation to be had, not something where you can just allow some Native runners to get in (to big events like the Western States).鈥�

It鈥檚 a long-term process, exposing the sport to younger Indigenous generations.

鈥淪howing these communities on a regular basis, like having these events be traditional gatherings and having tribal families involved in it,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hat kind of exposure will get them interested in running, and they鈥檒l start running at a younger age, and then you鈥檒l have the Native American Courtney Dauwalters.鈥�

One focus of his mission is to connect ultrarunning and tribal communities. He believes that both spaces can benefit from each other in different ways.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an opportunity to bridge the two to benefit from each other,鈥� he emphasizes. 鈥淭he tribal communities benefit by having exposure to these races that they had no idea existed, and the ultra-running community benefits by learning about these tribal communities that are in the area immediately around where they live.鈥�

Kwa鈥檋an Espinoza hopes to create lasting connections through events like in October. Participants get the unique opportunity to run on the Cahuilla Indian Reservation, and race entry benefits the tribe鈥檚 youth and family programming.

鈥淚 have this vision that (Native) youth see these things, and they鈥檙e out there at the race or watching these people run,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t becomes part of the culture like it once was.鈥�

He envisions a future where tribal communities embrace running as a regular part of the culture. 鈥淣ow, if I go to these tribes and tell them I do 100-mile races, 50-mile races, they鈥檙e like, 鈥榃ell, I鈥檝e never heard of such a thing.鈥� I want it to become normalized, part of our culture again, because that鈥檚 what we used to do. We used to run and deliver messages from the ocean to the desert. But now鈥攍ike many parts of our culture鈥攊t鈥檚 dying.鈥�

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Before Flagstaff was a haven for professional running teams, it was home to the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, Kaibab-Paiute, and Hualapai peoples. Before Boulder was the home of a number of elites, it was primarily the home of the Southern Arapaho tribe. Before Eugene was TrackTown, USA, it was Kalapuya Ilihi, the traditional indigenous homeland of the Kalapuya people.

This is to say, before white colonists came to what is now North America, the places we treasure as premier training and racing grounds belonged to the Indigenous people (many of whom are still here today) who first strode over these cherished landscapes, forming an intimate ancestral relationship with the land by way of running. Today, these environments are trampled over with little thought or respect given to the original occupants, sacred lands are desecrated by human pollution, and the Native people who originally called these places home continue to be and 鈥� the running world included.听

It is long past time for all American runners to learn the deep and historic relationship many Native people have had with running, and consider what lessons we can learn from welcoming in, listening to, and supporting Indigenous runners.

The Importance of Running in Native Communities

While it鈥檚 ignorant, at worst dangerous, to make blanket statements about Native people at large 鈥� there are, in fact, in the United States 鈥� Dustin Martin, Executive Director of , points out that running often has had a special, even spiritual, role in many of those Native cultures.听

鈥淲ith running I think it鈥檚 safe to say that it was and is a tool, not only to cover your landscape and know your surroundings, but also to better know yourself and cultivate a relationship with the Holy People, whatever tribal affiliation you may be,鈥� says Martin, who is himself Dine, or Navajo. 鈥淔or me, running has become a pathway to communing with a higher power or higher calling, especially when it is in places my People have had ties to for time immemorial.鈥澨�

Martin points out that many Native runners in the Southwest are sent to either run prayers or run certain ceremonial instruments or items between places of significance. This is also done to retrieve and fetch items for religious or ceremonial purposes.听

Running also played a major role in what has been referred to as 鈥� the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Runners, who were able to transmit messages in the form of knotted cords quickly over land, helped stage a carefully orchestrated revolt of Pueblo people who succeeded in dislodging Spanish colonizers from a large part of North America and winning Pueblo sovereignty in what is today New Mexico.听

鈥淩unning culturally has been in our communities forever, since pre-contact, since settlers came to our lands,鈥� says , a fourth-generation runner, social activist, and a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Kul Wicasa Oyate. 鈥淓specially with our Pueblo relatives down in the Southwest, running has been so integral and ingrained culturally, ceremonially, and we look to running as medicine and as healing, and running as messengers because that鈥檚 what our relatives did long, long ago.鈥澨�

The relationship between Native people and running isn鈥檛 just encapsulated in the past, but part of a living present in Indigenous traditions today. Those in the Navajo culture, for example, have a tradition of waking up early in the morning to run east toward the sun.

鈥�As Din茅 we are taught to wake up and let the Holy People know that we are ready to take advantage of the day, that we are appreciative for our next breath, our next step, and that we won鈥檛 waste it,鈥� explains Martin. 鈥�The deeper I go into that and the more I speak with stewards of cultural knowledge, I find there are very particular reasons and prayers that one might say to show that appreciation.鈥� This is to say that there is a long tradition of using running as a vehicle for prayer.听

Running also plays an integral role in Navajo women鈥檚 coming of age ceremonies, known as the Kinaald谩. , initiates run two to three times a day for the four days of the ceremony. The running ritual is said to make the women strong and prepare them for the adversities of life. The initiate鈥檚 running or racing abilities represent strength and fortitude, with the length of her run believed to predict the quality and longevity of her life.听

鈥淔or Navajos, many of them have run all their lives, since they were young,鈥� says , a Navajo runner and founder of . 鈥淭here鈥檚 always this connection, their dad ran or grandpa, and so it鈥檚 just been like generations of generations of running.鈥澨�

鈥淚t鈥檚 always been there, Native people have always been running for a very long time,鈥� says Volker, who is originally from the Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle area of New Mexico. Beyond competition, stories of running within Native traditions center on the health benefits of running. As for Volker, who herself has lost three siblings and a father says, it’s something like medicine. 鈥淲e want to run because we might be healing from trauma, we might be healing from something that happened because we all faced this historical trauma but also trauma individually.鈥澨�

What follows are five lessons from Native runner鈥檚 relationship with running. These are not Native traditions themselves as they relate to running, but perspectives and lessons that the running community could do well to learn from.听

Four Lessons from Indigenous Relationships with Running

1. Be grateful for and recognize the land you run on

One of the more prominent aspects of Native people鈥檚 relationship with running, as Martin notes, is viewing it as a way of connecting and communing with the land and other-than-human. This is a way of approaching the landscape on a day-to-day basis, which can鈥檛 quite be experienced in the same way for people who don鈥檛 have ancestral connection to the land base that they run on.听

鈥淲ho wouldn鈥檛 want to commune with the landscape or with the higher powers that animate the landscape?鈥� says Martin. 鈥淏ut speaking or running with a Native runner is not going to give anyone a secret to be able to do that,鈥� he continues, noting that while he doesn鈥檛 mean to sound exclusive, it is part of what makes running so special for Indigenous peoples. 鈥淭he type of strength or insight that one gains running on the land of their ancestors is a privilege and it鈥檚 very unique to Native people that can connect their identity and their personhood to those places that they鈥檙e running.鈥�

Though non-Native runners don鈥檛 have that same deep, ancestral connection with the land in the way Indigenous runners do, Martin says that it shouldn鈥檛 discourage them from approaching a landscape with respect, learning the history of the land, and feeling gratitude for the opportunity to be there on any given day.听

One way that non-Native runner鈥檚 can do this is through something called a land acknowledgement. This is a formal statement that recognizes and honors Indigenous people as traditional stewards of the land and the perpetual, enduring relationships that exist between Native people and their homelands or territories. ()听

鈥淢any times people just run,鈥� says Volker. 鈥淚 feel like people are just starting to realize [land acknowledgements are] important to Native people. It is! Just realizing the mountain that you鈥檙e running on or the trail that you鈥檙e running on is Native land and understanding whose land you are running on, studying that and realizing, 鈥業 really need to be thankful to the [Indigenous] people, this is their land.鈥澨�

While there has been a greater push toward giving land acknowledgements over the last few years, it鈥檚 still not a mainstream practice in running and racing circles. This is a problem that Daniel is working on addressing through her , which launched earlier this January. It鈥檚 a new initiative that will help introduce and implement acknowledgements at races and events that are happening on Indigenous lands.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be part of this dismantling and unlearning of the true history and to start talking about and acknowledging that these lands were stolen from Indigenous peoples… Indigenous peoples are still here, they are still the caretakers of these lands and have deep rooted connections,鈥� says Daniel. 鈥淭heir communities often are still there, some have been pushed away from their original homelands in forced relocations. This is all part of a big effort to reframe how we connect with the lands, how we view them, to see the true histories of what has happened on these lands, and to help have us a better connection when we go out the door for a walk or a run or hike or whatever it is…Sometimes I see a lot of lack of care and disrespect when they come into those spaces, especially on trails, and I want to help repair that relationship and have better connection to our surroundings.鈥澨�

2. Running beyond competition

The mainstream American running culture today was born from and is often continuously defined by competition 鈥� runners race. But what can at times be a cut-throat, win-at-all-costs mindset in the running world has costs, not least of which depression and anxiety among athletes, eating disorders, and a disenchanted view on running. The running world is increasingly recognizing the need for and community 鈥� perspectives reflected in some Indigenous cultures.听

The ancestral connection and longstanding history that Indigenous peoples have with the land they run on, says Martin, is part of what makes it possible to take both a competitive mindset towards running while also realizing that some days running is not about becoming faster than others: 鈥淪ome days, when you go out and run, even if it does serve a purpose for a goal or a race that you have coming up, you really should be listening to something other than the beep of your watch.鈥澨�

A common theme among the Native runners interviewed was a strong perspective of running that was not based solely on competing, but connecting with community, ancestry, and representation of something much larger than themselves. Martin鈥檚 organization, Wings of America, is an example of a shifting mindset from a purely competitive to more communal. The Albuquerque-based group has been around since 1988, founded on the knowledge that there are many young, talented Native runners who aren鈥檛 being given well-deserved opportunities to pursue higher levels of competition (and education) because of their backgrounds.听

Today, however, Wings has expanded its program offerings so that more than just the fastest runners feel deserving of the opportunities running has to offer. The organization believes that even those that never wish to compete should be equipped with the knowledge and confidence needed to test their stride safely. This includes teaching participants about the rich history 鈥� competitive and non-competitive 鈥� of Native running.听听

Daniel, who was introduced to running by her grandfather 鈥� famed runner 鈥� when she was 10 years old, has used running as a way to raise awareness about the and uplift Indigenous voices through her organization . Later this year she will be launching a film series called 鈥淩unning with Purpose,鈥� which centers on amplifying Indigenous, Black, , and LGBTQ voices about how they have used running as a means of advocacy and impacting social change, and are motivated by something larger than themselves. Her interviews with Indigenous people, she says, have highlighted for her how ingrained running has been within Native cultures.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 been so neat to learn this history of running, that it鈥檚 not just about trying to run fast or hit these goals 鈥� that鈥檚 all part of it 鈥� but we have running built into our DNA into our blood and so seeing that representation and being part of that representation to help bring us to these platforms to help pave a road forward so that Native people can see themselves in these spaces and hopefully help bring in the next generation of Native athletes is all part of this work that I get to do,鈥� says Daniel.听

While non-Native runners don鈥檛 have this history, it does offer an important lesson about the social impact a person can make through the sport beyond running fast times, and how running has significance beyond major events by helping a person to connect more deeply with and support one鈥檚 community.听

3. Running can鈥檛, and shouldn鈥檛, always be quantified

In conjunction with the tendency to view running primarily through a competitive lens comes the tendency to break our running and our bodies down into quantifiable, tweakable parts in order to optimize performance.听

Because of Native runner鈥檚 tradition with the sport, some view it as something far deeper than what can be dissected and measured.听

鈥淭here are people that believe that certain ways of 鈥楴ative running鈥�, whether they be ceremonial or simply in prayer, are incompatible with 鈥榤odern ways鈥�, fixated on quantifying everything about our runs and cataloguing them,鈥� says Martin. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 drawn a hardline on the subject, but I can appreciate the argument that if you are distracted by the device logging your run, then the prayer and the sentiment that you鈥檙e putting into the activity is in some way tarnished.鈥澨�

While non-Native runners don鈥檛 have the same spiritual traditions that connect some tribes to running in the specific way that Martin describes, a view on running that reaches beyond what can be snipped apart, analyzed by a Garmin, and posted on Strava could benefit all runners psychologically and physically. Whether that鈥檚 feeling deep gratitude for the body鈥檚 ability to powerfully rip around oval tracks, being mindful of the air we breathe in giving it life, acknowledging the histories and stories in the landscapes we run on, or being aware and appreciative of the multispecies narratives we encounter on our runs.听

4. Welcome in, listen to, and support Native runners

One of the biggest lessons that can be learned from Native runners, according to Daniel, is that they are here now as active members of the running community and much more than the harmful stereotypes and storylines that have characterized indigenous people as 鈥渞omanticized figures that don鈥檛 exist after 1900 or rely on鈥yper-sexualized or racist movies created that are not accurate.鈥澨�

鈥淲e鈥檙e more than those stereotypes,鈥� says Daniel. 鈥淲e鈥檙e runners, we鈥檙e advocates, we鈥檙e lawyers, we鈥檙e teachers, we鈥檙e volunteers, we鈥檙e so many of these things.鈥�

Volker鈥檚 organization, , is an online community that aims to enhance the visibility and positive representation of Native women runners online and on social media. She emphasizes the importance of giving Native runners a seat at the table, inviting them to be part of running spaces and communities, and forming genuine friendships and alliances with them.听

鈥淚 think oftentimes people want us to do the work, and we can鈥檛 do all the work,鈥� explains Volker.听 鈥淛ust simply inviting us to a running group and becoming our friends is really key…Get to know us, partner with us, invite Native Women Running as part of something.鈥澨�

These are invaluable perspectives non-Native runners can better learn and appreciate by running alongside Indigenous runners, supporting their communities, and welcoming them into an increasingly diverse running community united through passion for the sport.

How to Support Native Running Communities听

Here are a few ways that you can support Native runners and communities.

Learn More and Donate

• and visit to learn more.听
• and visit to learn more.
• Visit to learn more about NWR and how to partner with the group.
• .听
• working to bring attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis.听

Participate in Events

• Participate in , which are open to everyone.
• Participate in , also open to anyone.

Follow on Social Media

• Follow Native Women Running on Twitter () and Instagram ().
• Follow Rising Hearts on Twitter () and Instagram ().
• Follow Wings of America on Twitter () and Instagram ().

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On a June morning in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 26 children are jogging on the city鈥檚 paved river trail. From kindergarteners to high schoolers, some of them look more at ease than others. That鈥檚 just how jogging goes on a hot summer day, especially for beginners. Their teenage chaperones lead them to the grassy field of Alto Park, where they鈥檙e free to sit in the shade, drink water, and stretch before getting up again and playing ball games. Bagged lunches are waiting for them in coolers on picnic tables.

This is a Wings of America summer running and fitness camp, where every attendee and staff member is a member of a Native Tribe and the goal is to encourage self-care through an active lifestyle, with a particular focus on running. The camps are completely free, supported by grants and donations to Wings of America, the sole beneficiary of the nonprofit Earth Circle Foundation of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Based in Santa Fe, 鈥淲ings鈥� hosts dozens of running and fitness camps for Native youth each year, plus endurance and coaching clinics for teens and adults. The organization also partners with the Boston Athletic Association each year to take promising high school runners to Boston Marathon weekend, and its flagship program, the Wings National Team, selects and trains high school runners to compete at the USATF Cross Country Championships. to college running scholarships and other expansive opportunities for Native teenagers.

The Sante Fe youth summer camp is primarily funded by proceeds from the annual Big Tesuque Trail Run, held the first weekend of October on the Aspen Vista Trail in Santa Fe. Wings executive director Dustin Martin鈥檚 first week on the job coincided with the 2011 Big Tesuque Trail Run, and since 2012 he has run the race every year but one (winning six times). The Santa Fe Striders running club, which directs the event, donates 100 percent of proceeds to Wings and also asks registrants to pledge their own donations .

Martin finds more connection between the race and the camp than just funding. 鈥淭his camp in particular is so significant because the water is running in the Santa Fe river just next to us. That water comes directly from the watershed that is 鈥楾he Big T鈥� race,鈥� he says, noting the Big Tesuque Trail Run鈥檚 location along Big Tesuque Creek. 鈥淔or me, the race is an opportunity to pray for a good winter of moisture, and to be up there as you see the leaves turn, you can almost taste the change in the dewpoint in the air at that time of year.鈥� He adds: 鈥淭he water and its significance to our existence is just very apparent to me at that time, so during the race I think good thoughts for the mountain and all that it will provide for everyone.鈥�

Months ahead of this year鈥檚 race, in the mountain’s watershed valley, young runners are blossoming. 鈥淔irst and foremost, we hope that they have a lot of fun moving,鈥� says Martin, looking on as some campers and counselors start running back and forth in a game that looks like tag. 鈥淲e encourage them to move by having staff members that they can look up to and can see themselves in, and that play just as vigorously as any camper is expected to,鈥� he adds.

After the campers eat lunch, it鈥檚 time for a presentation from one of the counselors鈥擶ings prefers to call them 鈥渇acilitators,鈥� and Martin takes pride in how the organization selects and trains them. Facilitators are trusted to mentor the youth at more than 20 different camps throughout the summer, and Martin says they鈥檝e all 鈥減roven that they really love and can share running in a healing way.鈥�

The post-lunch presentations at these camps cover topics in Native American history, teaching campers about everything from messenger runners in the pre-colonial era to modern luminaries like Olympic gold medal winner Billy Mills鈥� 鈥渢o let them know that they come from a tradition of strength and a very strong lineage of runners, and they should be proud of that,鈥� says Martin. Other presentations focus on wellness and nutrition, 鈥渢o remind them that movement was crucial in the ways we gained our sustenance and harvested our crops prior to refrigeration and all these other [modern] tools.鈥�

鈥淗opefully what they’re teaching will stick with these kids for many years to come,鈥� says Nancy Davis Roybal, director of Native American Student Services at Santa Fe Public Schools. SFPS has a month-long slate of summer programming for Native students, which the Wings camps get folded into rather seamlessly. In other parts of New Mexico, Wings has to get creative when it comes to recruiting campers and getting the word out about its programs鈥攏ot so in Santa Fe.

鈥淚t鈥檚 beautiful, isn鈥檛 it?鈥� Roybal says as she watches the campers on the grass at Alto Park. 鈥淚t just brings a smile to my face because the kids are having fun and they’re learning. It鈥檚 an outdoor classroom all along the river.鈥�

Far upstream, this year鈥檚 37th Annual Big Tesuque Trail Run will be held on Saturday, October 7. The challenging route climbs six miles and 2000 feet to the summit of Tesuque Peak in the Santa Fe National Forest and then returns to the start, for a round-trip total of 12 miles.

The top competitors finish in about one and a half hours, but the race is as much about taking part as it is about winning. 鈥淲e’ve designed the race with an early start and a main start, to welcome runners of all abilities,鈥� says race director Don Brown. 鈥淲e’re just as excited to see people finish who didn’t think they could, as much as we are excited to see the fast men and women at the front of the field competing for top honors.鈥�

Starting as a small, local event, the field has grown to more than 200 from all over the region. 鈥淲e’d like to continue to grow the race to our permitted limit of 250, while trying to keep the old-school charm of the race – trail running for the love of running,鈥� Brown says.

And the Santa Fe Striders plan to continue their successful association with the Wings of America youth program, connecting with those who lived here before them, and building bridges between 鈥減eople who love a good challenge and the peace you feel when running in the mountains,鈥� Brown says. 鈥淲e are truly blessed to have this race, this mountain, and this beautiful setting as the aspens turn to gold.鈥�

You can sign up for the October 7 Big T race , and to the Wings of America programs (whether or not you run the race).

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As a junior in high school, LaKyla Yazzie, of the Din茅 tribe, had rarely been outside of her small hometown of Kirtland, New Mexico. Apart from traveling to a couple of championship cross country races, her world was largely confined to the Four Corners region of the southwest. So getting an expense-paid trip to visit universities in Boston and watch the marathon was a big deal.

鈥淭hat was my first experience of the real world,鈥� Yazzie, now a senior at UNLV, says about her 2018 Boston trip. 鈥淲hen we got to Boston, it was a huge culture shock鈥擨 had never seen so many nationalities at one time.鈥� Yazzie recalls marveling at how crowded the city was, how most people didn鈥檛 own a car, the price of a small apartment, the lack of quiet, and that you couldn鈥檛 see the stars at night. Staying in a dorm she observed how independent college students were, and, while it was hard to believe that she was only a year away from that situation, she decided the adult world was not all that scary. 鈥淭hat was the biggest takeaway,鈥� she says. 鈥淪tepping out of my comfort zone鈥攊t taught me how to do that and not be afraid.

But the trip was more than an urban cultural immersion, it also helped convince her that she could make it at college. A Harvard seminar about the application process, costs, and available funding鈥攊nformation she hadn鈥檛 received from her small-school guidance counselor鈥攁llayed fears of being unable to pay for it. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to go to college and be in debt,鈥� Yazzie says. 鈥淏efore the trip, I thought, 鈥業f I can鈥檛 get scholarships, I鈥檓 not going to college.鈥� Once I鈥檇 seen that there were scholarships available, I felt like, 鈥極K, I can do this.鈥欌��

This year, , a non-profit that works to build healthy Native communities using youth running initiatives, will again select five American Indian high school juniors to join the Boston Marathon Pursuit program. Wings has been granted two Boston Marathon charity bibs to raise funds to pay for all travel, lodging, and meals during the four-day itinerary. Students will take part in college and museum visits, workshops on the realities of continuing their education, group runs, participate in the Boston Athletic Association 5K on Saturday, and view the marathon on Patriot鈥檚 Day Monday.

While the program revolves around one of the world鈥檚 most competitive running events, the students don鈥檛 need to be fast to participate鈥攋ust passionate about running. The application process asks the students to describe their relationship with the sport: 鈥淏riefly explain the role running has played in your life thus far and how you envision the activity being a part of your practice as you grow older.鈥� Equally important, they need to tell why they want to attend college, the challenges they鈥檒l face, and how the Pursuit program might help them overcome those hurdles. And, finally, they鈥檙e asked to research and write an essay on in Boston history and why this runner inspires them.

It was the Native legacy at Boston that inspired the Pursuit program in the beginning. In 2016, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Narragansett runner Ellison 鈥淭arzan鈥� Brown鈥檚 first Boston victory (he won in 1936 and 1939), the B.A.A. and Harvard University invited the 1964 10,000m Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota) to speak about his own path on the way to distance running legend. As part of the celebration of Tarzan鈥檚 wins, Wings was asked to bring representatives of the newest generation of Native distance running champions. The 鈥淧ursuit鈥� program aims to continue the conversations, learning opportunities, and inspiration of that 2016 celebration. After bringing groups to Boston in 2017-2019, the Pursuit Program was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.

This year, two Native marathoners will be raising funds to support the student鈥檚 travel, as well as serving as the chaperones for the trip: Courtney Lewis (Hopi and Fort Mojave) from Phoenix, Arizona, and Casey Long (Din茅) from Gallup, New Mexico. Both runners have experienced the power of Wings programs personally. While in high school, Lewis ran on Wings teams at several USATF National Cross-County Championships, Long was a participant in a Wings summer running and fitness camp, and both have since served as facilitators at camps in their tribal communities.

Both runners are excited about the chance to give youth a wider perspective. 鈥淎ll of the things Wings does, they鈥檙e an eye opener,鈥� Lewis says. 鈥淵ou never know what is out there unless you go explore. There鈥檚 a stigma that kids never leave home on the res鈥� There鈥檚 nothing out there, it鈥檚 such a different world. And it is. But through Wings, they鈥檙e able to see all these different programs that are Native-led, to meet people and share their stories. It鈥檚 empowering, that you as a Native American can go out and explore and do all these amazing things. It鈥檚 a life-changing experience.鈥�

Long says, 鈥淭o be given the opportunity to travel, at an early age, not only to a different state, but the other side of the country, is very unique.鈥�

This will be both runners鈥� first Boston, and they鈥檙e training hard to handle the hills. Lewis, in fact, has yet to run a marathon, but she has the creds to handle the distance, having gone straight from being a standout at Arizona State to running trail ultras. Long has run six other marathons, including Shiprock, Duke City, and New York City.

The students won鈥檛 get to run the marathon, but will likely have some other memorable runs. During the last Pursuit trip, they visited the newly restored tribal homeland and reservation of the, and ran together from their history and culture museum to tribal headquarters.

鈥淚t was very emotional and powerful, tribes from the southwest coming to the east coast,鈥� says Daan Haven, Wings program director who was a Pursuit runner/chaperone that year. 鈥淚t was nice to make connections, to talk about how lucky we are to still come together as a community and be thankful for how running connects us. It鈥檚 important to learn that running isn鈥檛 just about competition but about connecting with others and running for your community and who you are.鈥�

Haven is thrilled to be part of the program again this year, helping a new group of young people have these types of rich experiences. 鈥淚t鈥檚 getting that perspective of a bigger world. It鈥檚 making lifelong friends,鈥� she says.

鈥淵ou never know,鈥� says Lewis, “which one of these kids will be inspired by the trip, and want to be their better selves so they can bring these things back on the reservation and be proud of who they are.鈥�

You can help create this opportunity for five young Native students this year by sponsoring Courtney Lewis or Casey Long at .

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On Thursday, November 24, tens of thousands will lace up for their local turkey trot. In most cases, these races depict the positive version of the Thanksgiving story while neglecting the tragic Indigenous experience surrounding the holiday. For the last three years, a group of Indigenous runners has sought to change that.

From November 24 through November 27, 鈥攁n Indigenous-led grassroots organization鈥攚ill host the third annual . The run was created to honor Indigenous history, foster allyship, and share the true history of Thanksgiving during Native American Heritage Month.

For the last two years, Rising Hearts has partnered with , a nonprofit dedicated to restoring land to Indigenous communities, to donate race proceeds to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe鈥攖he group that made first contact with English settlers and has inhabited present day Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years.

The Truthsgiving 4 Miler originated as a virtual run during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and has since grown with four in-person races. For the first time ever, runs will take place in St. Paul, Minnesota (11/24), Harrisonburg, Virginia (11/24), Washington D.C. (11/26), and Los Angeles, California (11/26) this year.

By hosting the Truthsgiving 4 Miler on Thanksgiving weekend, Rising Hearts founder Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel hopes to encourage runners to be open to a new perspective on the holiday. 鈥淲e’re not trying to turn people off or away by saying you can’t do it,鈥� Daniel tells Women’s Running. 鈥淚t’s about reframing your opinion of it and reframing the language around it, which is why we call it Truthsgiving and not Thanksgiving. We want people to understand the true history.鈥�

What Thanksgiving Means to Indigenous People

Generations of children in American schools have been educated on the positive version of the in which Plymouth colonists and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe shared one of the first autumn harvest feasts, celebrating a 50-year alliance that started in 1621, a year after English settlers arrived in what is now the United States.

However, for many Indigenous people, Thanksgiving is considered a day of mourning and protest. As Indigenous nonprofit shared, the day commemorates the arrival of settlers in North America and the centuries of oppression, land theft, and genocide that followed for Indigenous communities.

鈥淰ery few teachers get a chance to tell students about the massacres of Native tribes like the Pequot that took place in the years that followed. They also do not mention that English settlers robbed Wampanoag graves and stole food from them in order to survive during their first years on this new continent,鈥� Native Hope organizers wrote in a .

While people around the United States celebrate the holiday with turkey and pie, many Indigenous communities lead protests. In 1970, the named the fourth Thursday in November as the National Day of Mourning for Native Americans and their allies. Every year, people gather at Cole鈥檚 Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for an organized rally on Thanksgiving.

How Runners Can Be Better Allies

In the running community, many kick off Thanksgiving with a turkey trot in the morning. As reported in 2021, it鈥檚 the most popular and oldest continuous footrace in America. And the number of participants keeps growing with the exception of pandemic cancellations. According to , more than 961,882 people finished a trot in 2016, up from 684,334 in 2011.

By hosting the Truthsgiving 4 Miler, race organizers hope to encourage runners to be more mindful this holiday season and all year-round. 鈥淲e should be thankful for the food that we’re eating, the roofs over our heads, and the gift of running. But the Thanksgiving holiday carries a heavy weight to it. It’s something we passively accept as just turkey and football, but it’s a lot more than that,鈥� Michael Harralson, founder of ReNew Earth Running, tells Women鈥檚 Running. 鈥淚n my opinion, we should remember the historical context of the holiday, and if we’re going to have a holiday about it, it should be truthful.鈥�

Harralson and the team at ReNew Earth Running will host one of the four in-person races this year at Pike Island, located on the portion of the Mississippi River that runs through St. Paul, Minnesota. 鈥淲herever we are on Native land, there are truths to be told. The race is highlighting the truths about the Thanksgiving holiday, but we’re going to do some truths about the place where we’re holding our event,鈥� Harralson says, explaining that the includes the Dakota peoples’ creation story as well as the tragic 1862 U.S.鈥擠akota War after which more than a thousand Dakota people were forced into fenced confinement.

An Opportunity to Build Community

Those who register for the Truthsgiving 4 Miler are into Indigenous history and support Indigenous communities with year-round , including buying Native, reading books by Native authors, donating to Indigenous organizations, and 鈥渄ecolonizing鈥� the Thanksgiving plate by making Indigenous cuisine, among other recommendations shared by race organizers leading up to the event. They also want to make the race accessible with a reasonable price point (between $25-30) and by providing the option for people to sponsor other runners鈥� participation.

Daniel says the response to the race has been positive with a few exceptions. In its first year, some had negative reactions to the concept of sharing the true story behind the holiday, but they’ve become less vocal in recent years, she says. Many have reached out with their own positive race experiences or shared efforts to start conversations about Truthsgiving at the dinner table. So far, race organizers have raised about $10,000 each year for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, in an effort to support a group whose experience needs to be shared.

鈥淭he biggest thing that harms Indigenous people in our communities is the constant erasure, stereotypes, racism, and invisibility that we’re experiencing,鈥� Daniel says. 鈥淭his run is an opportunity to present the true narrative, for people to get a better insight into who we are beyond the racism and stereotypes, and to actually be in community together.鈥�

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