Over a two-year period, storyteller and National Geographic photographer Erika Larsen travelled to many locations in the western United States to learn about the significance of the horse in Native American tribes – culturally, spiritually, and economically.
Along her journey she met many Native Americans who shared their profound stories and experiences about the unique bond that exists between the horse and their culture. In this episode we discuss her photographic work documenting this exceptional connection, as well as the insights she was able to gain – insights into how this connection transformed the indigenous relationship to the landscape they live(d) in. Erika also tells us about her own relationship with horses, what she has learned about how to bond with a horse best and what she has taken from this far-reaching project personally.
Furthermore, we talk about the powerful impressions she gained when attending the Dakota Access Pipeline protest in 2016/2017 – which is considered to be one of the largest gatherings of Native Americans in modern times.
If you want to learn more about Erika’s very inspiring and outstanding stories and her impressive photographs, we can also recommend our previous episode no 18 to you – it’s about Erika’s experiences in the Scandinavian Arctic: “Living with Sami Reindeer Herders”!
Website Erika Larsen: www.erikalarsenphoto.com
Erika Larsen on Instagram: www.instagram.com/erikalarsen888/