The first cowboys in the American southwest, and in French Louisiana (1680s-1762), were Indians, griffe sauvages/lobos (children of Africans and Indians), métis/mestizo (children of Indians and Europeans) and Africans. In fact, thousands and thousands of cattle were managed in sparsely populated colonial southwest Louisiana between 1730 and 1765 by 20 (African, Indian, and Creole) slaves of a Frenchman named André MASSE, whose slaves lived as free (status libres). Masse operated 3 vachéries, or cattle ranches, until his death in 1771: one on Bayou Têche, another on Bayou Vermilion, and another in southeast Tejas on the Trinity River.

Tarantino’s Django helped to diversify racial expectations about cowboys … a bit. But even still, most people I’ve encountered, viewed the brown cowboys in the movie as an anomaly, or exception, rather than an historical fact.

Through the ages, many people have made the American southwest and midwest–as well as southwest and northwest Louisiana–their home. And, many have chosen cattle ranching as their professions and/or hobby. So, as time has gone by, we began to see a mixture of phenotypes and genders mounting horses with lassos in hand. Such that, even today, one can find vaqueros/vaqueras or vachers/vachères (cowboys) from roux-brown to milky-white.

Cattle ranching and cowboy culture are so common in many locales that there are annual events called “trail rides” where people of color mount American Quarters, Paints, Appaloosa, Mustangs and Morgans, and stroll through the trail with music, barbecue and onlookers or participants on foot or seated. This is especially common in St. Landry, Lafayette, Calcasieu, and Iberia Parishes in Louisiana. But trail rides can be found all over the country, with all kinds of people participating.

Nowadays, cowboy gear (boots, Wrangler jeans, plaid shirts, cowboy hats, etc) has become a fashion statement, and is common for folks of all phenotypes and genders beyond country music and beyond trail rides.

Pictured:

1. Keith FRANK (Louisiana Creole), Zydeco musician with accordion.
2. Trailriders (African Americans and Louisiana Creoles) near Opelousas, Louisiana.
3. Two (white American) cowboys (Montana)
4. Unidentified dark brown cowboys in Texas (19th century).
5. Dolly Parton, a cowgirl (Tennessee).
6. Cowboy of the Jicarilla-Apache Nation (New Mexico) pictured in 1901