Rock Your Mocs! Exchange Celebrates Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month

Nation’s Network, the Exchange’s Native American and Alaska Native Special Emphasis Program, is bringing back the “Rock Your Mocs,” in honor of National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month in November.

Associates are invited to wear moccasins, a Turquoise Awareness Ribbon or other “Rock Your Mocs” apparel and post a photo of their participation with the hashtag #RockYourMocs on social media from Nov. 12-18. Associates can also share photos to exchangepost@aafes.com and socialmedia@aafes.com to be included in the National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month Flickr album.

Executive Champion Alan French, the Exchange’s senior vice president of supply chain, is anticipating this year’s submissions with excitement.

“The ‘Rock Your Mocs’ celebration is a fun activity to celebrate the culture and heritage of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives worldwide,” French said. “We look forward to seeing the moccasins, displays and other creative ways associates express their cultural pride this month.”

Associates can also celebrate by sending pictures of pow wows or carnivals featuring Exchange involvement to the above email addresses all November long. For more information on how the Exchange is observing National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month, view the November EEODI Newsletter.

Nation’s Network is one of eight Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity and Inclusion Special Emphasis Programs within the Exchange. The program is committed to educating associates on the history of Native American nations and the Federal Indian Trust Responsibility, including the history behind National Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month.

According to the Native American Heritage Month official website, the first American Indian Day was celebrated more than 100 years ago in New York thanks to the efforts of Blackfeet Nation member Red Fox James. James successfully rode across the country on horseback to gain approval from 24 state governments to have a day to honor American Indians nationwide.

In 1990, then-President George H.W. Bush officially designated the month of November “National American Indian Heritage Month,” which is now called “American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month.”

To learn more about the Nation’s Network special emphasis program, click here.