The Native American Occupation of Alcatraz Island

        Native Americans have endured hardships and injustices since European colonization of the Western Hemisphere. The arrival of Europeans in the Americas brought about a great amount of oppression for Native populations. Mistreatment of Native Americans has led to the marginalization of the indigenous people and this has caused lasting effects on their nations. Some indigenous groups have sought change through resistance and public demonstration. One example of this is the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island in the second half of the twentieth century. Native American protestors occupied Alcatraz Island from November 1969 to June 1971 with the goal of drawing attention to the unjust treatment of the indigenous people. This event is a twentieth century protest that provides insight to the oppression of a group of people in the United States who have endured injustice throughout history.

        Prior to the occupation of Alcatraz Island, the United States government enacted policies that disturbed reservation life and impacted Native Americans throughout the country. Twelve termination bills were enacted from 1953-1962 which sought to dissolve tribal nations and eliminate federal protection of reservations. Other policies encouraged Native Americans to migrate from reservations to urban centers. Termination and relocation policies added to the tensions that already existed between the indigenous people and the federal government. As a result, the protestors at Alcatraz desired to bring attention to the old and new injustices that were being faced by Native Americans. The events leading up to the occupation of the island set the stage for protest to take place as many indigenous people were outraged by the injustice that was being faced by their people.

         The occupation of Alcatraz Island was planned for November 9, 1969. The original protest group included Mohawk activist Richard Oakes, a group of students, and a group of Indians. The group’s plan was to circle the island and claim the land for the Indian people. Multiple tribes were represented and the group adopted the name Indians of All Tribes. The group claimed the island and was asked to leave by the island caretaker. Oakes and a group of fourteen other Indians returned that evening with sleeping bags and food for a few days and did not have a plan for prolonged occupation. In meetings following the occupation, the Indians of All Tribes realized that it was possible to occupy the island for a longer period of time and they formulated a plan to prolong their occupation.

        The Indians of All Tribes used satire to expose the conditions of the Native American populations. Upon claiming the island, they stated that they chose Alcatraz because it resembled most Indian reservations as it did not have running water, sanitation, transportation, minerals, industry, agriculture, or educational facilities. The protest group wanted to expose the conditions of reservations to the public and by selecting Alcatraz, this became a possibility as this was a generally well-known island by the American public. This strategy allowed for the possibility for the national audience to understand and sympathize with the cause of the protest group. Unfortunately, the media presented the story of the occupation in a negative light and this was the information that the general public received on the matter.

        The Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island was publicized in the media throughout the United States. At the end of the occupation, San Francisco Chronicle published an article titled, “Alcatraz is ‘Recaptured’ by Armed U.S. Marshalls”, which detailed the events of the end of the protest. This article explains that fifteen Indians peacefully surrendered to the twenty marshals who landed on the island that day and they were not taken under arrest. The Indians were fed a meal and offered government housing to which they refused. One of the Indians vowed that they would return to the island, but the marshals made it clear that the government would not allow that to happen. The government stationed a group of marshals on the island to keep unwarranted people off the the land. Other security measures were taken which included a fence around the area where landings may occur and dogs to patrol the shoreline. This article demonstrates that the protest was not received well by the U.S. government, but the Indians still intended to make their point and return to the island.

The Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island is an example of a protest that occurred in the United States during the twentieth century. The decisions and motivations of the Indians of All Tribes connects to “The Life of the Political Community” passage in Gaudium et Spes. This passage discusses the legitimacy of individuals to defend their rights and the rights of others against abusive authorities. The protest group desired to achieve change for their people through public demonstration. Initially this seemed unsuccessful as they were forced to leave the island and the media portrayed the events in a negative light. However, in the twenty years following the event, thirteen Native American land seizure protests occurred in the United States, and eighty-four occurred in the thirty years since the occupation. This demonstrates that the occupation of Alcatraz Island served as an inspiration for Native Americans who desired change. 

Ralph Crane, Under an altered sign, Native Americans who had taken over Alcatraz island unload supplies from a boat. https://allthatsinteresting.com/occupation-of-alcatraz.

For more information on the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz, watch this video, “The Occupation of Alcatraz that Sparked an American Revolution”.