One of our favorite times of the year is November 15, the midpoint of Native American Heritage Month, which in recent years has become known as “Rock Your Mocs Day.” Rock Your Mocs is a grassroots, Native-pride gesture that, thanks to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, has become a phenomenon all over Turtle Island.
It goes something like this: You wear your moccasins, and you post a picture of them to your social site(s) of choice. What follows is a lot of ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the beauty and craftsmanship of the original Indigenous footwear, as well as sharing, replying, and retweeting, with comments like “Where did you get those?” and “I want these!”
While we wait for another Rock Your Mocs Day, we have compiled some photos of Indian country’s hip and famous—the musicians, the actors, the artists, the dancers, the writers—who are helping Native culture to thrive in the 21st century. So, until it’s time to watch your feeds for new Rock Your Mocs pics, feast your eyes on the great selection that follows.
Dr. Adrienne Keene, Cherokee. Cultural critic, panel regular, author of the influential nativeappropriations.com blog.Iskwe, Cree/Dene. Singer and songwriter of pop/soul/dance music. Description-defier.Gabriel Ayala, Yaqui. World-class classical guitarist, 2011 NAMA Artist of the Year, inventor of the “jazzmenco” style.Kristi Lane Sinclair, Haida/Cree. Folk singer-songwriter, self-described as “grunge classical.”Ryan Red Corn, Osage. Member of the 1491s, graphic designer, photographer, performer of one-armed handstands.Gyasi Ross, Blackfeet/Suquamish. Attorney, author, activist, talking head.
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Dr. Jessica Metcalfe, Turtle Mountain Chippewa. Fashion arbiter and entrepreneur. Author of the Beyond Buckskin blog and creator of the Beyond Buckskin Boutique, beyondbuckskin.com.Sage Paul, Dene. Fashion designer and promoter of the “authentic appropriations” concept.JB the First Lady, Nuxalk/Cayuga. Hip hop/spoken-word artist, traditional dancer, educator.Kaniehtiio Horn, Mohawk. Actress, regular on the Netflix series “Hemlock Grove” and the SyFy series “Defiance.”Lisa Charleyboy, Tsilhqot’in. Writer, style maven, entrepreneur, actress, avoider of gluten. Aka Urban Native Girl.Lil’ Mike and Funny Bone, Pawnee/Choctaw. Rappers, as the duo Mike Bone, seen on America’s Got Talent.Roseanne Supernault, Metis. Actress known for her work in the films “Maina” and “Rhymes for Young Ghouls,” and the TV series “Blackstone.”Thosh Collins, Pima/Osage, and James Jones, Cree. Photographer (Collins) and dancer (Jones), seen here on the night they filmed the “Rock Your Mocs” video (embedded below) in New York City.Sera-Lys McArthur, Nakota. Actress, series regular on CBC’s “Arctic Air,” and one of the title characters in the film/series pilot “Skye & Chang.”Inez Jasper, Sto:lo/Ojibway/Metis. Singer, songwriter, musician, actress and activist. One of four Indigenous artists featured on the MTV series “Rebel Music.”
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Suzette Amaya, Kwakwaka’ wakw/Cree/Nisga’a/Coast Salish. “Big Brother Canada” contestant, radio producer, public speaker.Jacob Pratt, Dakota/Salteaux. Dancer, model, student, entrepreneur. Owner and creative director of Wambdi Dance.Crystle Lightning, Enoch Cree. Hip Hop MC with LightningCloud and actress.Tanis Parenteau, Metis/Cree/Sioux. Actress, most recently seen on Netflix series “House of Cards,” and fitness advocate.
