Melissa Sanchez - Rock Your Mocs - Pow Wow Life Episode 18

Pow Wow Life - PowWows.com

Listen to our interview with Melissa Sanchez with Rock Your Mocs. November is Native American Heritage Month.

2016 is the 6th year of Rock Your Mocs which is a worldwide Native American & Indigenous Peoples movement held annually during November which is also National Native American Heritage Month in the U.S. A.. It’s easy to participate by wearing moccasins to school, to work or wherever your day takes you. Or if a person doesn’t own mocs, can’t wear mocs, or perhaps their Tribe didn’t wear mocs, they may wear a Turquoise Awareness Ribbon instead. Even easier, the event takes place where you are, where you’re going and where you live. Rock Your Mocs if a fun way to unify Native American, Aboriginal, First Nations, Alaskan Native, Indigenous Peoples globally through internet social media, participants post their photos for everyone to enjoy, sharing their stories and creating an “online photo album” by using any one or all of the following hastags: #RYM2016 #ROCKYOURMOCS. It’s like a great big fun moccasin party that everyone gets to see pictures of! RYM was founded by Jessica “Jaylyn” Atsye of Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico U.S.A. and she has partnered with Emergence Productions, a Native American owned Event Production Company, who together are working hard to expand this cultural empowerment initiative worldwide!

Around the world, people have taken the initiative to organize - Moccasin making workshops - Round dances - Community “Fun” walk/run’s - Group photos - Native American and Indigenous cultural awareness events - Connecting youth and elder events - Museums have created moccasin or Rock Your Mocs exhibitions

Founder Jessica “Jaylyn” Atsye hopes RYM Day “will continue to 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 in a fun way of celebrating Indigenous & Native American Peoples and U.S.A.‘s National Native American Heritage Month.”

________________________________________ Dates: During November

Why a week? The dates have increased to a week, only because this creates more opportunity days. We are trying to accommodate schools, people who work Monday – Friday, and for people organizing events. (November 15th, the original date, tends to fall on a weekend)

Do we "have" to wear our Mocs the whole week? Nope, choose a day or days or the whole week if you like.

Is there a main day? The original day will always be November 15th

Where is RYM: Where ever you may be! Wherever your day take you!

Why: We, as Indigenous people, wear our moccasins, standing together worldwide, while recognizing our Tribal individuality. Honoring our ancestors & indigenous peoples worldwide and celebrate National Native American Heritage Month.

How to join in: Wear your moccasins or a Turquoise Awareness Ribbon or organize an event

Internet: Using Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram etc.) post your photos, group photos, stories on the Rock Your Mocs Facebook page

Use one or all the hashtags: #RYM2015 #ROCKYOURMOCS #ROCKURMOCS #NationalNativeAmericanHeritageDay #Moccasins #TurquoiseRibbon

Have fun and be creative TRY: A rap, a hand drum song, dance out on your rez, dance, sing, juggle in a creative or unique place. Walk in your mocs in the city, ride a horse, family photo, sibling photo, pets who wear mocs, group photo. Video idea: tell the story behind you moccasin: did you make them, were they given to you?

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