Keian's Dance: The First Cowboys | EMIAC Studio

The First Cowboys and the Sharp Edge of the Blade: Keian’s Dance in the Dirt

By Lee Kemp | EMIAC Studio

    If you watch Keian at the end of a successful bull ride, you will see him dance in the dirt.

    To the thousands of people sitting in the grandstands, it looks like the standard adrenaline-fueled celebration of a man who just survived eight seconds on two thousand pounds of bucking muscle. But if you stand behind the chutes and listen to him speak, you quickly realize that the dance has nothing to do with adrenaline.

    "At the end of every bull ride, I dance for my people, my past loved ones—my grandpa, my dad, my grandma," Keian explains. "I carry their last names with pride."

    His presence in the arena is about carrying an entire generation on his back. For Keian, climbing into the bucking chute isn't just about chasing a buckle; it is about reclaiming a legacy and proving to the Indigenous youth watching him that there is a way out of the darkness.

    "First and foremost, we Indigenous people, so-called Indians, were the first cowboys," Keian states, grounding his career in a history that is too often overlooked. "Riding bareback, providing for our family’s living from the earth the same as the settlers... we all had the same goal of survival."

    That shared goal of survival is exactly how he views the men he competes against today. In a world that is often hyper-focused on division, Keian looks around the locker room and sees absolute unity.

     "The only difference between us men and boys is our skin colour. We bleed the same blood, cry the same tears, and speak from the same heart," he says. "In my eyes, we’re all brothers chasing the same dream. Yes, we may face different hardships and even conflict with each other, but ultimately, we come together as grown men to help one another."

    The hardships Keian faces aren't just physical. Like many in the Western community, his deepest battles were fought far away from the arena lights. He speaks with an unvarnished, courageous truth about having to learn the hard way through his own battles with addiction and substance abuse. He didn't just survive those battles; he persevered, overcame them, and channelled that pain into a relentless drive to succeed.

    "All that blood, energy, sweat, and tears was well worth the wait, rather than violence or substance abuse," he reflects.

    In the Grit & Grace series, we talk heavily about the mental fortitude required to survive this sport without letting it harden your heart. Keian is the living embodiment of that balance. He possesses the sheer grit required to conquer his personal demons and ride professional bucking bulls, but it is entirely anchored by the profound grace of his heritage.

    "My Indigenous background anchors me through the morals I’ve gained from my people: to be giving, loving, and brave in the face of hardship, with calmness and control," he says. "My background also anchors me in that there is no giving up. We make dreams happen in my family; we don’t let them die a dream."

    When Keian packs his gear bag and travels down the highway to the next rodeo, he knows exactly who is watching. He knows the Indigenous youth in the stands are looking at him to see what is possible.

    For those kids, his message is crystal clear.

    "It’s okay to be different, but find that difference and use it to your advantage," Keian urges. "Be a sharp edge on a blade, and persevere in a career that’s worth living for."

    The next time you are at a rodeo and the buzzer sounds, watch the dirt. If Keian is in the arena, you aren't just watching a cowboy. You are watching a man who forged himself into the sharp edge of a blade, honoring his ancestors, and dancing for the future of his people.