John Trudell

American Indians Take Alcatraz 

In 1969 a group of Native American activists took control of the Island of Alcatraz in order to protest how Native American land was taken by the US  government.  The island, which is off the coast of San Francisco, had been a former prison where the United States locked-up the most dangerous criminals. By the mid 1960's the prison was shut down and abandoned by the US Government.

The Proclamation 

In 1868 the US Government, and the Native Americans signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie, which established the rules of how Indian land would be purchased and used by the government. The Treaty stated that if land was taken from the Native Americans, it would be returned as soon as the government stopped using that piece of land. Alcatraz Prison had been abandoned in 1963, so the Native Americans felt like it should have been returned to them.

The Protesters wrote a proclamation and gave it to the government.  A Proclamation is a public statement that delivers a very important message. The most famous proclamation was Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which announced the end of slavery. The proclamation that was written by the Native American protesters explained why they took over Alcatraz.  The proclamation offers a new treaty, and justifies the occupation of the island based on law set by the US Government in the Treaty of Fort Laramie. 

We, the native Americans, reclaim the land known as Alcatraz Island in the name of all American Indians by right of discovery.

We wish to be fair and honorable in our dealings with the Caucasian inhabitants of this land, and hereby offer the following treaty:

We will purchase said Alcatraz Island for twenty-four dollars ($24) in glass beads and red cloth, a precedent set by the white man's purchase of a similar island about 300 years ago. We know that $24 in trade goods for these 16 acres is more than was paid when Manhattan Island was sold, but we know that land values have risen over the years. Our offer of $1.24 per acre is greater than the 47¢ per acre that the white men are now paying the California Indians for their land. 

The Occupation

The American Indian Movement took control of the abandoned prison on November 20th 1969, and lived there for 18 months. During that time as many as 400 Native Americans lived on the island as if it were an Indian Reservation.

The occupiers organized themselves immediately, electing a council and giving everyone a job. Everyone on the island voted on all major decisions. Within three weeks of the occupation, a school was set up. Older adults taught traditional native arts and crafts such as bead and leather work, woodcarving, costume decoration, sculpture, dance, and music.

The occupation continued peacefully for over a year while the protesters and the government tried to come to an agreement. Eventually, President Nixon became frustrated with the lack of progress and decided to try to force the Indians off the island.. He ordered the government to cut electricity to the island, leaving the people without power. He also blocked boats from bringing supplies to the island. 

As a result of the government's new tactics, conditions on the island began to deteriorate. To make matters worse, a fire spread through the island in June and destroyed many buildings. Without food, clean water, or many other supplies, most of the protesters soon left the island On June 11, 1971, a large force of government officers removed the remaining 15 people from the island.

The Legacy

This peaceful protest brought awareness to the challenges of Native Americans, and inspired future generations to stand up for the civil rights of the indigenous people.  Future Native American movements were inspired by the way the Alcatraz protestors used the United States own laws to support their cause. 

Other groups have challenged the government  with the Treaty of Fort Laramie. In 1980, The Supreme Court ruled that tribal lands covered under the treaty had been taken illegally by the US government, and the Sioux Tribe was owed compensation plus interest. As of 2018 this amounted to more than $1 billion. The Sioux have refused the payment, demanding instead the return of their land.