Running as Medicine: The Indigenous Legacy and Resilience of Gallup's High School Cross Country Team
The Gallup High School Cross Country team embodies Native tradition and resilience. The Bengals X-country team has support this season from Nike, which has a long history of working with Native American and Indigenous communities. Credit: Nike
The Indigenous legacy and resilience of N.M.'s Gallup's High School Cross Country team
In Indigenous communities, running is more than just a sport — it's a form of healing, a symbol of resilience, and a sacred tradition. In New Mexico, Kyle Benally, coach of Gallup High School's cross country team, has been rebuilding an athletic program steeped in pride and history since 2021. Many of the student-athletes Benally works with come from families living below the poverty line, where they train and race in the same pair of shoes. Many of these students and their families consider new and shiny sneakers a luxury. Recently, Nike provided running and training gear to student runners that they could customize with cultural phrases, patches, pins, and their names.
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