Company removes 'Navajo' from website
By Bill Donovan
Special to the Times
WINDOW ROCK, Oct. 24, 2011
And as of yesterday, it looked to be making a difference.
The name "Navajo" had been removed from the Urban Outfitters Web site and reportedly from in-store signage as well.
The much-criticized "Navajo hipster brief" is now called a "printed hipster brief" on the Web site. The "Navajo fabric wrapped whiskey flask" is now identified as a "print fabric wrapped flask."
In a statement issued last week, the company noted the protest but said it had no plans to change its product lines.
Now it acknowledges having received a cease-and-desist demand from the Navajo Nation, which claims trademark rights to the word "Navajo" as it appears on consumer goods.
The day after last week's Times article appeared, a petition movement started on www.change.org to get the company to withdraw the Navajo line of clothing and goods.
Led by Tiffany Wilson and Sasha Houston Brown, the Dakota woman whose letter on Columbus Day started the movement, people around the world made their feelings known.
Wilson said that despite minimal publicity efforts, 394 people signed a petition asking the company to stop "disrespecting Native cultures."
"We have people from all over the United States signing our petition," said Wilson.
People from Italy, Spain and Africa have also signed the petition.
"We're hoping to have 1,000 or more people sign the petition," Wilson said, adding that the petitions will eventually be turned over to Urban Outfitters, which she claims "has a history of ripping people off."
Most of the comments on the Web site were similar to one by Crystal Yandell, who writes: "Having Native blood makes this too offensive to me. This sort of action should never fly if this company were promoting anything even remotely about any other ethnic group.
"But for some reason, it is always okay to pick on the First People, as if it's an honor, which it clearly is not."
Cynthia M. Thomas said the company would have done better by partnering up with the Navajo people and sharing the profits with them.
"That's a win-win situation for everyone," she said, "but, alas, greed usually wins out. Shame on you, Urban Outfitters. I won't shop at your store."
But the company has some supporters, too, like this comment from Bruce Combs: "I support freedom for all in every way I can! Peace, etc."
Change.org is a Web site that allows people to start grassroots protests on any subject.
As of Tuesday, there were five separate protests going on within the Web site against Urban Outfitters, which is being criticized for everything from its vendors using child labor, to supporting anti-gay politicians, to having no women or minorities on its board of directors.
To learn more about the petitions and read all the comments, go to www.change.org and type "Urban Outfitters" in the search box.