Hobybuchanon Native American Indian Girl Returns Best [ Extended Report ]

By Samantha Greywolf, Special Correspondent

WIND RIVER RESERVATION, WY – In a world where young Indigenous athletes often fight for recognition, one name has emerged from the high plains with the force of a summer thunderstorm: Hoby Buchanon.

The 17-year-old Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshoe track and field star has done more than just win races. She has redefined what “returning the best” truly means—not only by reclaiming her place at the top of state competition but by bringing back a sense of pride and purpose to her community. hobybuchanon native american indian girl returns best

Combining ancient Three Sisters farming techniques with hydroponic greenhouses she learned about in college, Hobybuchanon solved the food desert crisis on her territory. She returned with the best of both worlds—tradition and innovation—turning barren plots into lush gardens.

From Hobybuchanon’s journey, we can all learn: Thousands of young Indigenous women are posting videos

In 2024 and 2025, the story of Hobybuchanon has gone viral across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram under the hashtags #NativeGirlReturns and #HobybuchanonChallenge. Thousands of young Indigenous women are posting videos of themselves graduating from college, finishing trade schools, or completing military service, then driving back to their home reservations to open businesses, clinics, and cultural centers.

The phrase "Hobybuchanon Native American Indian Girl Returns Best" has become a template for a new kind of success metric. It is no longer about how far you go; it is about how well you bring it back. My people are there." So

As one elder from the Navajo Nation put it: "For a century, they took our best. They took our brightest girls and turned them into invisible women. But now? Now the girls choose to return. And when they return, they return best. That is Hobybuchanon. That is every one of our granddaughters."

When Hobybuchanon graduated as valedictorian, she had job offers from three Fortune 500 companies. Her teachers advised her, "Don't go back to the rez. There's nothing there for you." But Hobybuchanon smiled and replied, "There is everything there. My people are there."

So, she returned. And she didn't return empty-handed. The phrase "Native American Indian Girl Returns Best" refers to three specific gifts she brought back:

Her TEDx talk, “The Long Way Home Is the Strongest Way,” has over 3 million views. In it, she famously said: “You cannot find yourself in a world that erased you. You must return to the people who remember your name.”