Horses forever changed life on the Great Plains, and for Native Americans today, they endure as an emblem of tradition and a source of pride, pageantry, and healing. Here, Zoda, whose name means “gray” in Hidatsa, serves in a youth wellness program in North Dakota.

See more pictures from the March 2014 feature story “People of the Horse.”

Erika Larsen's portraits of Native Americans and their horses »
Watch "People of the Horse: Special Bond" »