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Native Pride Campaign Underway

Elementary 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 Atsye 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. Observers say the campaign is helping to fuel a resurgence of Native pride.

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