Rock Your Mocs

Shoes have always been a fashion statement for many people, but, for indigenous people, shoes are also a symbol of cultural pride.

 

Rock Your Mocs is a week-long event where indigenous people can show off their moccasins in any setting. Moccasins have long been a staple piece in indigenous clothes and culture. They represent the pride an indigenous person has in their culture.

 

The word moccasin comes from the Algonquian language Powhatan. It has been used as a general term for indigenous footwear. Each tribe has their own style and way of creating their moccasins. For many years, companies have claimed the term for the sale of their new styles of footwear.

 

On vucavu.com, another episode of the series We are not a phase: Indigenous Screenings & Talks featured guests Jessica “Jaylyn” Atsye, Charlene Moore, Julie Ray Tucker and Kat Pasquach. The website also aired films about moccasins and indigenous culture.

 

Rock Your Mocs was founded by Jessica “Jaylyn” Atsye, who is from Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico U.S.A. She has partnered with Emergence Productions, a Native American owned event production company, to expand this event worldwide. This event creates an online album of people around the world wearing their moccasins.

 

“We as indigenous people stand united through our tribal individuality, symbolically wear our moccasins, honour our ancestors, and indigenous people worldwide during Rock Your Mocs and National Native American Heritage Month,” said Atsye.

 

Charlene Moore, a filmmaker sound recordist and director of the film Moccasin Stories screening on vucavu.com, attended the University of Winnipeg for Indigenous governance. During this time she researched the making of moccasins and the stories behind them.

 

“(The film) follows a bunch of indigenous artists in Manitoba who are moccasin makers and who sell moccasins and also teach people how to make moccasins. The film talks about the teachings that come with that process and the reason why they do it,” said Moore.

 

This media event may be one week a year, but moccasins are worn with pride every day.