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The island of Alcatraz was left unused by the government after the prison closed in 1963, and it was technically Indigenous land according to the Treaty of Fort Laramie. Adam Nordwall (Ojibwa) and Richard Oakes (Mohawk) had the idea of occupying the island to have a Native-centered school and community center after the San Francisco American Indian Center burned down. Nordwall and Oakes created the group Indians of All Tribes to work to reclaim Alcatraz. They shared their vision for Alcatraz via news broadcasts, radio interviews, and news letters.

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On November 20th 1969 more than 70 Indigenous people traveled to Alcatraz marking the start of the occupation. The occupation lasted 19 months. Immediately there were issues with the funds, not only did Oakes struggle to manage the money but also celebrity donations were sometimes not was the activists needed. While there was a lot of chaos during the occupation there were also a lot of positives. Activists opened up a school, started their own radio station, and planned for the future. Eventually many activists left to go back to school and were replaced by people who were less invested in Indigenous liberation. Drugs and alcohol, which were originally banned from the island, started to become a bigger issue. One of the last straws was Oakes’ daughter falling off a three story building to her death. By May, the government decided it was impossible to negotiate an agreement so they cut off power to the island. Many activists left the island and on June 11 1971 the government removed all activists from the island.

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Members of the occupation inside Alcatraz prison. In the front row from left were John Trudell, Annie Oakes, Richard Oakes, Stella Leach, Ray Spang and Ross Harden. 1970

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The activists, from left, Harold Patty, Oohosis, Peggy Lee Ellenwood and Sandy Berger moments after being removed from Alcatraz Island. June 11, 1971.

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“It would be fitting and symbolic that ships from all over the world, entering the Golden Gate, would first see Indian land, and thus be reminded of the true history of this nation,”
-Richard Oakes

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A tule boat preparing for a sail around Alcatraz Island on Oct. 14, 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation at Alcatraz.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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Two activists walking through the abandoned Alcatraz prison during the occupation. Dec. 7, 1969.

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While the occupation did not lead to land reclamation it did make a statement that Indigenous activists are powerful. The occupation at Alcatraz inspired future occupations such as the occupation of Wounded Knee. Even though the activists did not get the Native community center they hoped for, the occupation of Alcatraz became a beacon of hope for the Indigenous community. To this day Indigenous people still celebrate the occupation.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/us/native-american-occupation-alcatraz.html

https://www.nps.gov/alca/learn/historyculture/we-hold-the-rock.htm?scrlybrkr=039f9303

https://www.history.com/news/native-american-activists-occupy-alcatraz-island-45-years-ago

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13870041/alcatraz-occupation-lives-on

https://www.kqed.org/news/11788540/a-look-back-at-the-occupation-of-alcatraz-50-years-later

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A woodcut by 14-year-old Elvin Willie appeared in the first issue of the Indians of All Tribes Alcatraz Newsletter produced during the occupation. January 1970