Born in Utah and raised in small town Gordon, Nebraska, Aliyah American Horse is no stranger to the rural lifestyle as a community based artist. Titled the Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate in 2023 and the Midwestern Youth Poet Laureate in 2024, her work centers around creating a better future for the youth and raising awareness for at risk Indigenous communities. Stemming from the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, preserving her culture and protecting her people is what matters most to Aliyah.