36.0672° N, 109.1880° W
presents

Ride to the Polls

Harness

HUMAN followed Diné riders across sacred land as they carried horse medicine to the polls, reminding America to vote with love.

36.0672° N, 109.1880° W

Project Overview

Ride to the Polls

In the shadow of a nation in crisis, the Diné people led a movement of healing—on horseback. Rooted in the spiritual force known as “horse medicine,” this poetic short film follows Indigenous riders as they traverse ancestral lands to deliver a powerful call: vote with love. Created in collaboration with Protect the Sacred and Indigenous leaders across the Southwest, all humans™ by HUMAN™ documented this 2020 cultural and political moment to honor Native sovereignty, mobilize the Native youth vote, and restore a deeper relationship to land, spirit, and freedom.

2020

Case Study

Context

Amidst a global pandemic, widespread political division, and historic voter suppression efforts, Native communities mobilized like never before. In 2020, HUMAN™ joined Protect the Sacred and Diné leaders to document Ride to the Polls—a cultural and spiritual act of resistance where young Indigenous riders, guided by the power of horse medicine, journeyed across their sacred lands to inspire voter turnout.

Impact

The film helped elevate Native voices at a critical moment, amplifying a grassroots movement that contributed to historic Indigenous voter engagement in Arizona and New Mexico. It was featured in press outlets like The Guardian and shared widely across platforms to galvanize allies and young Native voters.

Style & Approach

Shot on location in Navajo Nation with deep cultural sensitivity and creative reverence, the piece blends vérité, drone, and portraiture to capture the visceral connection between rider, horse, and homeland. Scored with a cinematic soundbed and voiced by community leaders, the film was part protest, part prayer.

Platform & Reach

Released as part of the Vote With Love campaign by Harness and all humans™, the film reached millions across social and earned media, becoming a symbol of Native strength, sovereignty, and hope.

America needs healing. Diné tradition says that horses offer us “horse medicine”— a spiritual solution of drive, passion, and appetite for freedom. Open your eyes, channel horse medicine, and #VoteWithLove.​​​​

Credits
Ride to the Polls

Featuring

Allie Young, founder of @protectthesacrednow​​

Created by

HUMAN.us @thehumanstory ​​

Directed by

Benjamin Henritig

Jonathan Olinger

Creative Director

Jonathan Olinger

Produced by

Maya Savage

Photography by

Talia Mayden​

​Executive Producer

Lilakoi Moon

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