1969+-+American+Indians+claim+Alcatraz+Island



= American Indians claim Alcatraz Island =

Overview
On November 20, 1969, Alcatraz Island became the unlikely spot for a major moment in the American Indian rights movement. That was the day 89 Indians declared they were taking the island. This was the longest occupation of any federal facility be Indians to date. Most of the Indians were students from colleges and universities in the San Francisco area. However, it was essentially a publicity stunt to spotlight issues concerning Indians. The occupation of Alcatraz was a defining moment in Indian-U.S. relations and was a early protest that would soon inspire activism across the country.

Impotant Details
The Alcatraz occupation was a diveatian from past Native activism. In the 40’s and 50’s Indains moslty tried to settle disputs with the U.S. government through negotiations. The occupation lasted 19-months, but it was not the first attempt to occupy the island. In 1964, four indians claimed the island in an ‘occupation’ that lasted four hours. This first occupation was a major influence in the occupation in 1969 because the the promises made -- the establishment of an Indian university and the right to use the island as a Native American cultural center among others -- to those Indians were never met. In exchange for the island, the inhabitants offered "$24 in glass beads and red cloth," which they said was a precedent set by the white man's purchase of "a similar island" three centuries earlier. While the activists noted that $24 for the 16 acres on Alcatraz was more than what Whites paid for Manhattan Island, they acknowledged that "land values have risen over the years." The point of the occupation was to bring the grievences of Indains to the spotlight.

Conclusion
The occupation of Alcatraz Island ushered in a new apporach of Imdian activism. No longer were Indians contempt to mealy negotiate with the U.S. govenrment. The youth now felt the active protest was necessary in the attempt to presuede the government. The legacy of the Alcatraz occupation was immediate and long-lasting. In the following months, Native Americans would occupy federal facilities in Colorado, Mt. Rushmore and Ellis Island. In 1972, the Trail of Broken Treaties caravan converged on Washington, D.C., to demand from Congress changes in how Native peoples were treated. The following year, activists occupied the Sioux Pine Ridge Reservation in North Dakota, the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. The origins of this era of Indian activism, a milestone in the Native American movement, can be traced back to November 1969. "The most lasting result of Alcatraz," said Native American activist Adam Fortunate Eagle, "may have been the growth of Indian pride throughout the country. ... Everywhere American Indians rejoiced." (2009-10.1.2.J) Referances []