Dec 9, 2014 - #NotYourMascot up for Digital Trend of the Year‏

For Release: December 8, 2014
Not Your Mascots, Inc.
info@notyourmascots.org
www.notyourmascots.org

Washington, DC: Not Your Mascots, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing the misappropriation of Indigenous identity and imagery through Native mascots, is excited to announce that #NotYourMascot is one of seven finalists for Digital Trend of the Year.

After initially appearing in connection to the Washington team courtesy of Twitter user @okiebowl back in Fall 2013, #NotYourMascot took on new life and was successfully trended during Super Bowl 2014, due largely in part to the efforts of Suey Park, creator of #NotYourAsianSidekick, Jonathan Miller, founder of Change the Name Now, Dani Miller, a Native activist based in North Dakota, Apache Skateboards artist Douglas Miles, several Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry founders Toby Vanlandingham, Maggie Hundley, Ethan Keller, Jacqueline Keeler, and many others. Along with the National Congress of American Indians #ProudToBe video airing during the Super Bowl, which garnered over 3 million views, attention was given to a Native American issue during the country’s most-watched televised event.

Recently, Not Your Mascots, Inc. helped organize a rally in Minneapolis, MN alongside NCAI, the National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media, Oneida Nation’s Change the Mascot campaign, Idle No More, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and many other Tribes and grassroots organizations. Over 3,000 participants attended and generated wide attention to the #NotYourMascot and #NoHonorInRacism hashtags. These same tags will be used during an upcoming protest being organized at FedEx Field on December 28. The #NotYourMascot hashtag, along with many others, has been successful in drawing attention to a fundamental issue in Indian Country – the ownership of Native identity by Native people.

Not Your Mascots, Inc. is thrilled to see a Native-themed hashtag as a finalist, and looks forward to continuing the conversation via social media and through upcoming live protests.