"Rock Your Mocs" Day

Friday was "Rock Your Mocs" Day in much of Indian country. Here's the scoop:

Showing pride through moccasins

San Juan College rocks their mocs

By Noel Lyn SmithWhen Sherrie Benally put on her moccasins Friday morning, her 4-year-old daughter asked for a pair to wear to school.

Benally was surprised by her daughter's request but assured her that Santa Claus would deliver a pair. Benally said that moment made her proud because her daughter is taking pride in Navajo culture.

Celebrating Native American traditions was one reason 21-year-old Jessica "Jaylyn" Atsye, of Laguna Pueblo, started Rock Your Mocs in 2011. Via a social media campaign, Rock Your Mocs encourages people to wear moccasins one day a year in honor of Native Americans' cultures.

Atsye focused on moccasins because their usage is shared among tribes.

In a press release, Atsye said she hoped the day "will reach even further worldwide and inspire cultural pride for Native Americans wherever they may be as well as anyone who would just like to participate."Native pride at heart of 'Rock Your Mocs' campaign

By Susan Montoya BryanElementary school students in western New Mexico are wearing their moccasins. So are students at Northern Arizona University, Purdue and the University of Michigan.

On the Cherokee Nation, there's a waiting list for Friday's moccasin-making class. And on a military base in Afghanistan, a soldier ties a beaded cross around her boot to symbolize her moccasins.

Friday is "Rock Your Mocs" Day.

Coinciding with Native American Heritage Month in the U.S., the social media campaign started by New Mexico student Jessica "Jaylyn" Atsye has gone global.

The 21-year-old Laguna Pueblo member says the idea was simple--to set aside one day each year to wear moccasins to celebrate the cultures of Native Americans and other indigenous people.Get Ready to Rock Your Mocs! 20 Photos of Native Footwear Worn Proudly

It's Rock Your Mocs Day! Mocs Are Being Rocked [20 More Pictures]



Not well thought out?

But not everyone agrees with the idea of Rock Your Mocs:

"Rock Your Mocs" event spurs debate

By Michael McKayThe email immediately caught the attention of Elizabeth Winkler, an associate professor in the English Department.

Winkler, who identifies as Cherokee, said the presentation of the email “was not well thought out.”

Winkler sent back a message to Pillow and copied all faculty and staff saying, “A bunch of white people wearing moccasins honors diversity. Take a walk in my shoes… Seriously?”

Other faculty and staff sounded off on the event or the constant amount of emails, perpetuating a large stream of replies.

After participating in the email exchange, Victoria LaPoe, an assistant professor for the school of Journalism and Broadcasing, said that she feels that the “Rock Your Mocs” isn’t the most constructive way to talk about Native American culture.

“You should go spend time in the culture, spend time with natives, and I’m not saying that people on the email list weren’t doing this—but there needs to be a healthy debate.”Comment:  So a professor feels "Rock Your Mocs" isn't the most constructive way to talk about Native culture? Well, it's not the least constructive way either.

I'd say it's fine as a one-day event. It's better than cheering an Indian mascot, certainly.

As the above articles indicate, I don't think the day is supposed to be a big educational effort. It's more about Indians demonstrating that they still exist and showing pride in their cultures.

Meanwhile, I tweeted the following:

I heard today is Rock Your Crocs Day so I wanted to join in the fun. #rockyourcrocs

Native designers at Couture Fashion Week

Three Indigenous Women Represent at New York Couture Fashion Week

By Jamilah KingWhile Native American themes have become popular in the fashion world, Native American designers have often been left out of the spotlight. In an effort to change this sad state of fashion affairs, three Native designers will be spotlighted this Friday: internationally acclaimed Sho Sho Esquiro, Lyn Kay Peters of Ringing Bell Robes, and Linda Lavallee of Cree Nisga’a Clothing.

The show will take place this Friday at the New Yorker hotel in Manhattan. According to its Facebook page, the event will celebrate “self-taught First Nation fashion designers who are sure to bring global awareness of this highly neglected and untapped resource of rich traditional talent.”It's Native, to Boot! Cree Nisga'a Clothing at NYC's Couture Fashion WeekExcitement is clearly running high for the Chilliwack, British Columbia designers. Earlier today, Lavallee wrote on the official Facebook page, "So far New York is AMAZING!! Fittings went well yesterday. Looking forward to showing you my new stuff!!! Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow!!!"

Cree Nisga'a creations are used to the spotlight: Michelle Thrush wore a pair while in Cannes for the premiere of Jimmy P., and Saginaw Grant wore a custom-designed jacket at the Anaheim premiere of The Lone Ranger. According to CoutureFashionWeek.com, the work being shown in New York will be made from "a mixture of fabrics, from leather, cedar and birch bark to cotton, wool and ultra-suede in traditional Nisga’a and Cree colors featuring red, white and black."Comment:  For more on Native designers, see 10 Native Designers at Idyllwild and Paul Frank Announces Native Collaboration.

Below:  Clothing by Sho Sho Esquiro.



Boots by Cree Nisga'a.

Louis Vuitton's "Navajo Moccasins"

Adrienne Keene writes:Apparently Louis Vuitton has a line of "Navajo Moccasins":

"Capturing the spirit of the authentic Indian moccasin, this on-trend design in oiled calf leather features a hand-stitched vamp, a comfortable rounded shape and a casually tied leather lace."

Um, once again, "Navajo" is not a synonym for "Generic Indian." Navajo moccasins don't even look anything like that. And did the fashion world learn nothing from the Urban Outfitters lawsuit (when they had 25+ products named "Navajo")?Some comments on this posting:Yeah, real authentic 'cause it's a well known fact that First Nation people love their Italian driving shoes....

There's nothing even generic Indian about them, let alone Navajo. They're just standard-looking preppie slip-on mocs. Garbage marketing drivel.

These things are $200, not only racially offensive but also capitalizing on it ... sick, goes to show how skewed 21st century societies can be when they still think it is OK to capitalize on the marginalization of people.

Those ugly "penny loafers" are not mocs! Not even mock mocs! They're ugly and I'm pretty sure not one Dine would be caught wearing anything like that! Navajo Nation, sue their pants off!!Comment:  For more on the Urban Outfitters case, see Navajo Nation Sues Urban Outfitters and Urban Outfitters Renames "Navajo" Products.

Gong launches Mockups

Nooksack tribal member turns shoes into canvas for art

By Dave GallagherA penchant for creating Northwest native art on shoes has turned into a business opportunity for a Nooksack tribal member.

Louie Gong recently launched a website for Mockups, which resemble white Vans-style shoes that customers use to paint intricate designs.

The product is a do-it-yourself piece that isn't meant to be worn but can be used to create artwork as well as something to practice designs on before trying it out on actual Vans shoes.

In the do-it-yourself art toy business, Gong believes this product hits a sweet spot because of the importance of shoes in society. It also has educational value, making it a potentially popular product for school projects.

"Shoes are the perfect platform for talking about a wide range of topics in a way that can really engage with kids," Gong said. If one thinks about the role shoes have played in our culture, he said, such as Dorothy's shoes in "The Wizard of Oz" or Air Jordans, art on shoes can have broad appeal and become iconic cross-cultural symbols.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Unreserved Trailer and Gong's Shoes in Fashion Showcase.

Aboriginal art on leather boots

Boot designers fuse native tradition with modern chic

An area designer’s unique brand of handcrafted Aboriginal footwear is creating a fast-growing buzz in the fashion industry.

By Matt GardnerCreenisgaa clothing is the brainchild of Linda Lavallee, a member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, and her husband Patrick Reid Stewart, a Nisga’a architect. The Chilliwack, B.C.-based company is garnering acclaim for its line of wearable art leather boots, which made their debut on the catwalk last month as part of National Aboriginal Fashion Week in Regina.

“It was amazing,” Lavallee said of her first real fashion show experience. “I got so much publicity that it was quite overwhelming.”

The boots borrow techniques traditionally used to make native footwear but add embroidered artwork more often found on gowns, jackets and suits. Typical designs include animals that symbolize a customer’s aboriginal name, although the company has many non-First Nations customers as well.Comment:  For more on Native footwear, see Vans Shoes with Pendleton Designs and Echo-Hawk Partners with Nike.

Below:  "A model wears a pair of the creenisgaa clothing art leather boots at National Aboriginal Fashion Week in Regina."

Vans shoes with Pendleton designs

Vans Pendleton Shoes were 'Hottest Shoes in NDN Country' at Chicago Powwow

By Levi RickertTodd Harder, Creek, a young energetic entrepreneur, brought seven people with him to sell 500 pairs of limited edition of Vans Pendleton shoes at the 58th Annual Chicago Powwow at Navy Pier this past weekend.

It was a good thing he brought the help because the Vans "Off the Wall" booth was busy throughout the weekend.

The limited edition shoes are made by Vans with geometric designs provided by Pendleton. The shoes are touted as the "hottest shoes in NDN Country."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Echo-Hawk Partners with Nike and Nike Signs Tahnee Robinson.

Echo-Hawk partners with Nike

Oklahoma artist joins NIKE to create Native inspired clothing

By Dana AttocknieEcho-Hawk, Pawnee and Yakama, created a live art painting Aug. 20 at the Nike Factory Store in Oklahoma City. The appearance was to help launch the new Nike N7 shoes and t-shirts that Echo-Hawk designed. The shirts reveal a Native American warrior holding a basketball; the warrior spirit, halted in a strike pose.

“It’s basically a series of paintings that celebrate Native American basketball,” Echo-Hawk said. “The painting that I created, that they based the shirts and the shoes off of, is called ‘triple threat’ … it’s a cool pose for Native people because it shows you have options, you can go places, you basically have control over your own destiny.”And:Sam McCracken, Nike N7 general manager, said he’s excited about the partnership with Echo-Hawk and feels they’ve created something unique.

“The intent of the collection is to raise awareness beyond Native American and Aboriginal communities for the N7 Program and the N7 Fund. This is the first time Nike has collaborated with an artist for the Nike N7 collection and it is the fourth release of product for the Nike N7 collection since it launched in November 2009,” a Nike N7 release stated.Comment:  I posted about Bunky and Nike before in Echo-Hawk's Nike N7 T-Shirt Design. Then it seemed he was doing only one shirt for Nike. Now we learn it's a whole partnership to create a line of shoes and shirts.

For more on the subject, see Echo-Hawk's Art Confronts Stereotypes and Obama Portrait Puts Echo-Hawk on Map.

Below:  "Bunky Echo-Hawk, Pawnee and Yakama, creates a live art painting Aug. 20 at the Nike Factory Store in Oklahoma City." (Randy Attocknie/Native Times)

Nike signs Tahnee Robinson

A column explains a subtle point in the WNBA's drafting of Tahnee Robinson:

Biggest Little Sports Column:  Tahnee + Nike + N7 = #Winning

By Dan HinxmanGive Nike credit: The apparel giant understands marketing.

Third-round WNBA draft picks don't get sponsorship deals. Nevada's Tahnee Robinson was a third-round pick on Monday by the Phoenix Mercury, which then traded her to the Connecticut Sun.

She was the first WNBA draftee in Wolf Pack history, but that's not why Nike signed her to a two-year contract soon afterward.

No, this marriage is all about timing.

Nike launched the N7 campaign in 2007. N7, according to its website, is Nike's "commitment to bring sport and all of its benefits to Native American and Aboriginal communities in the USA and Canada."

You'd be hard-pressed to find a marketing campaign that is as noble as N7. And that's more than just a little important to Robinson, who could be found signing endless autographs and posing for photos at the Wolf Pack's Native American Day games the last two seasons.

As Robinson's status as one of the top players in women's college basketball has grown, so, too, has her responsibility. And it's one she takes on fully and with a great deal of pride.

As the first full-blooded Native American to be drafted by a WNBA team, Robinson can take that responsibility to a national audience. And Nike will be riding shotgun.

"They're definitely going to use me to reach out as much as possible, being the first Native American drafted and the first from Nevada," Robinson said Tuesday. "... without Nike, there's no way my story can be heard. I hope to promote N7 more and reach out to as many people as possible."

It's fitting, too, and no coincidence that Robinson ended up with the Sun. The franchise is owned by the Mohegan Sun casino, which is owned by the Mohegan tribe. Nike isn't the only one that understands marketing.

Robinson still must go through training camp and fight for a roster spot. It's no given she'll make the team, but the combination of landing with the Sun and partnering with N7 gives her a foot in the door.Comment:  For more on the Nike connection, see Oregon State's Nike N7 Game and Nike to Promote Native Health.

Oregon State's Nike N7 game

Oregon State men's basketball team will honor Native American culture with N7 game on Sunday, Nov. 21

By Lindsay SchnellThere's the Coaches vs. Cancer, the "pink outs" for women's teams across the country and now at Oregon State, we've got the men's basketball teams wearing turquoise uniforms.

The Beavers will debut their new gear--and shoes--this Sunday, Nov. 21 when they play Texas Southern in the Nike N7 game at Gill Coliseum.

N7 is the division of Nike devoted to helping Native American communities get better access to sport. It's been around for almost 10 years, but this will be the first game of its kind, and N7 director Sam McCracken said that a lot of the credit goes to coach Craig Robinson.

Robinson started to learn a lot about Native American culture and the community when he was recruiting Joe Burton, a sophomore who is part of the Soboba Tribe. Since he arrived at Oregon State three seasons ago Robinson has been looking for OSU to support a special community cause, and N7 allowed the Beavers to do that.

"I didn't know much about Native Americans until I started recruiting Joe," Robinson said. "Joe is the type of person that people want to follow and I saw it firsthand when I recruited him and was taken out to the reservation.

"The one thing that rang true is that in the Native American culture, sport plays a very big part there and it's important on different levels. You see older folks play softball, you see young kids playing basketball. To be able to do something that helps bring sport and bring access to sport to kids all around the country, it's really a pleasure to be a part of."

Last year, N7 helped funded more than 18 Native American programs around the country and donated more than $350,000 in grants to help kids gain access to sport. It's also worth noting that former OSU baseball star Jacoby Ellsbury (who grew up in Madras and is of Navajo decent) and gymnast D'Anna Piro are both heavily involved with N7.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Nike to Promote Native Health and Nike Shoes Aid Native Youth Sports.

Below:  "Oregon State will wear new turquoise uniforms and special shoes this Sunday when they play Texas Southern in the first ever Nike N7 game."

Litefoot's sneakers for diabetics

Cherokee rapper Litefoot designs sneakers for diabetics

By Tesina JacksonIn collaboration with Sole Nation Health, Cherokee rap artist, actor and entrepreneur Litefoot has become the first Native American celebrity to develop and produce a personal brand of sneakers to accommodate diabetics.

“A lot of orthopedic shoes are not the coolest looking shoes, and some of the young people who should be wearing those shoes don’t because it’s not a cool shoe,” he said. “I think this shoe will give them the opportunity to wear something that’s really cool and that they won’t be embarrassed of, and it also speaks to their Native American heritage.”

The shoe idea came about earlier this year when Litefoot met Ernesto Castro, a citizen of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Arizona, who started the Native American-owned company, Sole Nation Health. The company’s mission is to provide footwear for the prevention of diabetic-related foot problems and to offer therapeutic shoe-fitting education to individuals in Native communities.

It was after meeting Castro at a reservation economic summit in April that Litefoot and Castro came up with the idea of producing a stylish shoe for diabetics.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Litefoot's Product Lines and Gong's Shoes in Fashion Showcase.

Below:  Litefoot Aboriginal Footwear black sneaker.

Kiowa designer beads shoes

Jessica R. Metcalfe of the Beyond Buckskin blog tells us about someone who beads high-top shoes instead of moccasins:

Designer Profile | Teri GreevesTeri Greeves
Kiowa

Teri Greeves grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming and began beading when she was eight years old. Since then, she has developed her own style and has become known for beading on unusual surfaces. Her medium of choice, beadwork, represents Native adaptability to new materials because it references the interaction and cultural exchange with Europeans who first introduced trade beads to Native Americans centuries ago.

Eclectic and vibrantly colored, her fully beaded high-top shoes combine contemporary Native realities with traditional oral historical themes, and modernizes the tradition of beading moccasins. Through her work she hopes to educate by sharing the history and values of her people, and to bring beauty into the world in new ways. Although many of Greeves’ pieces are for adornment, essentially, she says, “I bead contemporary Native life.”Comment:  Follow the link for more examples of Greeves's work.

For more on Native shoes, see Gong's Shoes in Fashion Showcase and Nike Shoes Aid Native Youth Sports.

Unreserved trailer

Unreserved: The Work of Louie Gong“UNRESERVED” is an intimate profile of artist Louie Gong (Nooksack Indian, Squamish, Chinese, French, Scottish) who has long worked as an activist on mixed racial identity. In March 2009, he began merging Coast Salish design with pop culture art to create custom skate shoes that represent his complex cultural identity and the concept of “walking in two worlds.” While many are drawn to his shoes because they represent the confluence of multiple worlds, others simply appreciate the shoes’ freshness and originality.

Comment:  I watched the 0:52, 1:25, and 2:54 versions of this trailer. Sorry, but none of them grabbed me. Maybe it was the cool jazzy music, which doesn't seem the right choice for a video about shoes and skateboarders. Or the extended shots that gave the video a leisurely pace.

I watched the longest video first without knowing if it was the whole thing or just a trailer. When it was done, I thought, "Okay, it's done. I don't need to learn any more about the shoes."

Maybe this is because I've already read a lot about Gong and his shoes. Maybe it's because a few million Indians also have stories about "living in two worlds." If I'm going to listen to another of these stories, it has to be different...compelling...unique.

For more on the subject, see Gong's Shoes in Fashion Showcase and Gong's Shoes Take Off.

Gong's shoes in fashion showcase

Fashion footwear grounded in Coast Salish art

Over the past year, using sharpies and pencils, Louie Gong has transformed Vans shoes into culturally inspired works of art. Now his shoes will be part of a runway show during the Olympic Games.

By Lornet TurnbullThis week, the 36-year-old will be one of eight Native designers from across North America participating in an aboriginal fashion show during the Olympic Games.

In fact, the educational-resource coordinator at Muckleshoot Tribal College in Auburn is one of only a few Native people from the U.S. who will participate in a slate of events over the next two weeks organized by the Olympic Games' Four Host First Nation coordinators.

The Aboriginal Fashion Showcase is scheduled for Vancouver Community College; it started Friday and runs through Tuesday.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Gong's Shoes Take Off and Eighth Generation's Custom Shoes.

Below:  "Louie Gong will show his hand-painted shoes in the Aboriginal Fashion Showcase in Vancouver."

Nike shoes aid Native youth sports

Nike Introduces N7 Collection

Profits from the Collection Help Support Access to Youth Sport in Native American CommunitiesThis weekend Nike (NYSE:NKE) will debut the Nike N7 Collection, a select range of performance footwear designed with the environment and the future of Native American communities in mind. The N7 Collection will be sold exclusively through 33 Nike Factory Stores in the U.S. and via www.nike.com, with a portion of the profits going to the N7 Fund, which supports youth sport in Native American communities.

"For more than 10 years Nike has worked closely with Native American communities to provide support through product innovations specific to the needs of Native Americans and by providing grants to support sport programs through the N7 Fund," said Sam McCracken, General Manager of Nike's Native American Business. "With the introduction of the N7 Collection, consumers now have the ability to be their own agents of change, as the profits from their purchase will help young people in Native American communities realize their potential through sport."

The N7 Collection was created through the lens of Considered Design where products are engineered for higher performance and lower environmental impact.

The N7 Collection features the N7 Air Pegasus+ 26, the N7 Huarache, as well as the N7 SMS RT for preschool and toddler sizes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Nike Shoe Research and Nike Shoe Is Racist?

Below:  "The new Nike N7 Air Pegasus+ 26 was created through the lens of Considered Design where products are engineered for higher performance and lower environmental impact, as well as designed with Native American inspired details and graphics that tie the shoe back to the N7 Collection." (Photo: Business Wire)

Gong's shoes take off

Eighth Generation shoes:  Made for walking in two worlds with style

By Dana ArvisoHis work has attracted the attention of thousands through word of mouth, newspaper articles, blogs, Myspace, twitter, and a rapidly growing Facebook fan page with well over 2,100 fans.

While the attention and enthusiasm has inspired Gong to keep designing new shoes, it has also been a bit overwhelming. Requests to order the shoes have numbered in the hundreds in the past few months alone. “When I start taking orders, I usually reach capacity for the month in just a couple hours. I wish I could make a shoe for everyone who connects with them, but it’s just not possible.” At present, Louie has visions of collaborating with larger shoe manufacturers such as Vans to produce one of his designs so his customers might one day be able to purchase them off the shelf and at a lower cost.Comment:  Another testament to the power of the media. Love it!

Gong should find a way to mass-produce his most popular designs. I'm sure a lot of people would buy them if they weren't so expensive.

For more on the subject, see Eighth Generation's Custom Shoes.

Below:  "These Killer Whale Vans were designed by Louie Gong, who owns Eighth Generation." (Photo courtesy Louie Gong/Eighth Generation)

Eighth Generation's custom shoes

Walking in Two WorldsWelcome to Eighth Generation by Louie Gong,

When I started putting my art on shoes a in March of 2009, I had no idea it would lead to a facebook page with almost 2000 fans and my first small business. I just wanted to create something that represented me, a person who celebrates the dynamic realities of modern life while maintaining a strong cultural identity.

It turns out that many people are also drawn to my shoe art because of what it represents. Others simply appreciate Coast Salish art or the fact that the merger of this art form and pop culture is somewhat new and original. Either way, I feel honored that people are finding value in something I love to do. I promise to put some of that good energy back into everything I create.

~Louie GongCustom First Nations Shoes!I hope you like these kicks! Over the last few months, I’ve designed dozens and dozens of custom shoes for both my best friends here in Seattle and complete strangers living all over the United States and Canada. I’m even looking forward to shipping my first pair overseas sometime soon. It makes me excited to know that my art will be sparking up conversations all over the world.

I think you can tell from the pictures that I take a lot of pride in my work and I enjoy experimenting with new designs. I’m currently taking orders for the Eye on the Prize--Limited Custom. I’ll also be posting some one-off unique pairs that are already completed and ready to ship immediately. If you still can’t find what you want or you dont want to wait until orders open again, you may want to inquire about an “Exclusive Custom” shoe, where we work together to design a totally unique shoe that represents you, your heritage, or an experience from your life.Here are examples of the shoes:

Design Gallery

Comment:  For more on Native-style shoes, see Nike Shoe Is Racist? and Native Shoes Debut.

Snoqualmie youths design Nikes

Nike workshop invites tribe to design shoesStanding before a desk holding colored pencils and pads of drawing paper, Running Start senior Sam Matson recently told a crowd of 15 youths from Native American tribes across the state about the Nike design challenge.

Many of the youths were part of the Snoqualmie Tribe and some had traveled from as far as Yakima to the workshop in Carnation. In the first of five workshops, participants learned about narrative and story telling and sketched a few designs plucked straight from their imaginations.

The group will travel to Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. Nov. 29 to meet with professional Nike designers and tour the company. Following their visit, Nike will donate a pair of blank converse sneakers to each contender. Once the shoes are painted, they will be displayed at the Nike campus in Oregon. Nike may also feature the designed shoes in a book.Comment:  I gather Nike is continuing its laudable commitment to Native people. For more on the subject, see Nike Goes Beyond the Surface and Nike Unveils Native Shoe.