A Beginning to The Native American Civil Rights Movement

Native Americans and Wolf by the Moonlight [14]

For so long in the history of humanity on Earth, there were two parts of the world with no knowledge of each other’s existence. They grew and revolutionized in fiercely contrasting cultures with different beliefs, skin color, and rationalities, each oblivious of the other side. However, when one dominion of the globe, stepped onto the North American land claiming it as their own, genocide and an annihilation of a culture took place. For centuries, in the very continent that the Native Americans were indigenous to, this mutilating oppression would go forth, with the European settlers stripping the Natives of their land, freedom, beliefs, and most importantly their respect. However, after centuries of this tormenting injustice, in November of 1969, the new generation of Native Americans would step up to represent the afflicted lives and unheard voices of their ancestors, and bring forth the demand of rights that the new white American government owed them.

                                                              Invading Alcatraz 

Taken by Nancie Rossi

In the very early morning, near the rising hour of the sun, on November 20, 1969, eighty-nine American Indians arrived on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Urban Bay Area Native American college students, identifying themselves as “Indians of all Tribes”, landed on Alcatraz Island claiming the island their own by “right of discovery” and demanded full title of the land. By invading the island, just as the European settlers had done to America, this new generation would begin the long struggle for their owed rights. They called for the establishment of an American Indian University, an American Indian cultural center and an American Indian museum. They occupied Alcatraz for nineteen months, keeping national attention focused on Native American rights well into the late 1970’s.       

The Invasion of Alcatraz was an incredible advance in the Native American Civil Rights movement and ended government policies of termination on Indian Tribes and lands, awakened the American public to the reality of the struggle for the Indigenous Americans, and began a policy of Indian self-determination.

However this event would not have been possible without the occupants Richard Oakes, John Trudell, LaNada Boyer, Adam Fortunate Eagle, Earl Livermore, George P. Horse Capture, and Ed Castillo. However, these occupants are some of the best known people and occupants in Alcatraz, there had been hundreds of occupants during a point in time of the occupation. Each individual contributed a large amount of aid, and each individual’s presence is what made the Occupation the most successful Native American Protest.

The named occupants contributed to and effected the invasion incredibly, sparking the positive outcome from the occupation. They spoke as the voice and spirit of their people, and helped gain rights for all Native Americans in the country. By effecting the Occupation, they helped the entire Native American Civil Rights movement. They were a few of the crusaders for the beginning of the fight for liberty for the Native Americans.  

The Effects of the Occupants on the Occupation of Alcatraz

Nancie Rossi