by By Andrew Giangola
When an athlete such as Keyshawn Whitehorse is crowned PBR Rookie of the Year or Cody Jesus wins a PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle, the impact reverberates far beyond the fan pages and western sports press.
An entire group of people is inspired, motivated, and even validated.
For Navajos following Whitehorse and Jesus, who along with other rising Native American PBR stars were often raised in hardscrabble circumstances, this is more than a game.
“Here we are as Navajo people, from humble beginnings and with the struggle of growing up in a situation of poverty. Then with guts and determination, these bull riders have success accomplishing something on an international level at an elite stratosphere,” said Zoel Zonnie, who grew up on an Indian reservation in north central Arizona and is now starring in a new PBR ad campaign.
“In the past, this kind of success was only a dream, and now it’s become attainable to a lot of our cowboys and young kids. We really look up to these guys.”
Zohnnie, who now lives near the four corners in Farmington, NM, about three hours northwest of Albuquerque, is a journeyman boilermaker, specializing in power plant maintenance.
After graduating high school and learning welding, he also began pursuing acting, building a resume and seeking parts that would properly represent indigenous people.
Last December, a casting director called him to audition for a new commercial being shot for PBR.
The point of the campaign was to show that it’s not about the boots, hat or buckle; if you live the cowboy code, and espouse values like hard work and determination, then you’re a cowboy, too.
To bring that concept alive, the bull-riding league turned to its sister company Endeavor Global Marketing to cast and shoot the kind of people carrying a little dirt under their fingernails.
Zohnnie fit right into the campaign, which debuted in January on Super Bowl Sunday prior to the big game.
“It’s a real campaign – real people who work hard every day, get in there, and get it done. This is what they do. I’m proud to be included,” he said.
When Zohnnie appeared in the campaign’s official debut at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, he was immediately contacted by friends.
Better yet, total strangers began to notice him from the posters and TV spot, providing an opportunity to spread Navajo love.
“This came out of nowhere; it was pretty nice,” he said. “The commercial has resulted in so many great conversations. People want to know my background, what’s my story?”
Like the bull riders he respects, Zohnnie feels a responsibility to authentically promote his tribe in film.
“I try to portray and represent my people in a good way and bring Native American characters to life,” he said. “A lot of times Navajos get cast by other tribes or by people who aren’t Native American. For those of us who know the culture, when you see people who are not Navajos portraying Navajos, it can create a false image and identity.”
Each tribe’s own ways, beliefs, language and ceremonies must be treated carefully with genuine respect, he said.
“Hollywood generalizes everything. For Navajos, I’d hope that to have the language and culture portrayed correctly, and have people know, ‘Hey that guy is Navajo’.”
It was a bonus for the campaign to focus on the sport that continues to stoke his pride, like when pow wow dancers led the historic all-Native American team into AT&T Stadium in February for the PBR Global Cup.
“It gave me goose bumps,” Zohnnie said. “That opened a lot of doors and eyes. Everybody was rooting for the Wolves. They came up short but did really good.”
Indeed, Navajo, Cherokee, Sioux, Chippewa, Potowatomi, Northern Cheyenne and Black Feet tribal nation riders forming the Wolves finished in third place at the international tournament, despite having never before competed together.
Well before the Global Cup, Zohnnie had been keeping a close watch on Whitehorse, who grew up in Utah, and saw a young Jesus compete at a fair in Window Rock, Ariz.
“These guys are making pretty big waves among our Navajo people, and everyone is excited to see how well they’re doing,” he said.
Jesus, now 20 years old and currently No. 11 in the world, is the quintessential story of grit and determination. One of 8 siblings, he collected pinion nuts and recycled cans to pay for his bull riding entry fees.
“Lots of Navajos on the ranch know who Keyshawn and Cody are,” Zohnnie said. “Achieving that level of success turns everyone’s head. We rally around them and are very proud of them. The older people will cheer them on as if it’s their child.”
On the dirt Saturday night at the Ty Murray Invitational Presented by Isleta Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, Zohnnie will be recognized as a cowboy making our world a better place.
“I’m more than grateful to be part of the Be Cowboy campaign and represent my trade and my people,” he said.
“The slogan ‘Be Cowboy’ goes a long way. It symbolizes hard work and just being a good quality human being. That’s what my dad and uncle and so many others have taught me. And it’s what I hope I can teach others.”
Zoel “Zohnnie”.
Thank you for sharing this. It’s been a beautiful process for every athlete and individual involved the the “Be Cowboy” campaign, or in actually BEING cowboy!