AIM Vows to Boycott the GAP for Insensitive Manifest Destiny T-Shirt

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Challenges. Discussion »

SAN FRANCISCO – The American Indian Movement of Southern California has called for American Indians to boycott shopping at the GAP both in it retail outlets and online.

American Indian Movement Presents Demand Letter
at The GAP Headquarters

Representatives of this chapter of the American Indian Movement were involved in beginning the online to petition the $14.5 billion annually retailer to stop selling the controversial t-shirt created by GQ designer Mark McNairy with two words on it: Manifest Destiny.

These two words have set off a furor among American Indians nationwide. On Monday, the GAP pulled the t-shirts from its website, but they were still selling them in some retail outlets even though the company promised to pull them from its shelves.

“The dominant society ignores Native American people and that is why they forget we exist,”

stated Corine Fairbanks, president of the Southern California of the American Indian Movement to the Native News Network.

“This is unacceptable and will not be excused. We demand a formal apology to the Native community, just as they would do for other ethnic committees. We are no exception. In fact, we are the first nations of this country and we have rights.”

On Tuesday, a letter was delivered to the GAP's headquarters in San Francisco. Here is the content of the letters:

DEAR GAP,

We, American Indian Movement present to you our demands:

Discontinue all four shirts and advertisements with these shirts from online and offline sale and promotion;
That all money profited from the sale of the four shirts be donated to the legal defense for political prisoner Leonard Peltier, for his freedom and to bring him home!
Fire the designer Mark McNairy, and agree to never contract with this designer in the future;
Most importantly, AIM So Cal demands that Gap and McNairy issue a public, formal apology, taking full responsibility for the creation, marketing and sales of these shirts.

Until all demands are completed we will be calling on a BOYCOTT of GAP Inc.

Sincerely,

American Indian Movement,
Southern California

posted October 17, 2012 7:40 am edt