Taken by Bill Wingel
LaNada Boyer was the first Native American student at UC Berekely. Her dream had been to occupy to Alcatraz along with many of the other college students. She was a survior of the boarding schools where she was forced to go as an American Indian child. She was intent upon the cause of getting equal rights, and wanted so see a change for the new generation of Native Americans.
Teaming up with Richard Oakes and the community of college students who wanted a change, she helped plan the organization. She attended the meetings in the interim quarters of the Indian Center, where she helped co-write the first documented proclamations written to the federal government. (19)
Upon the island, she brought her two sons, and traveled to the island and to the mainland to attend classes. On the island, she helped form the island organization called Indians of All Tribes. A lot of rivalry and competition existed between the men, and she noticed that they did not want to recognize the authority of women because they had been assimilated into the white society and its male chauvinism. (20) Every single occupant had a job, whether it was helping with boats, with the school, or anywhere they were willing to work.
This is an excerpt from the second section of the proclamation, and it emphasized the points they wanted the American Public to take account of.
We feel that this so-called Alcatraz Island is more than suitable as an Indian reservation, as determined by the white man's own standards. By this we mean that this place resembles most Indian reservations, in that:
1. It is isolated from modern facilities, and without adequate means of transportation.
2. It has no fresh running water.
3. The sanitation facalities are inadequate.
4. There are no oil or mineral rights.
5. There is no industry and so unemployment is very great.
6. There are no health care facilities.
7. The soil is rocky and the non-productive land does not support game.
8. There are no educational facilities.
9. The population has always held prisoners and kept dependant upon others.
Further, 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. This tiny island would be a symbol of the great lands once ruled by free and noble Indians. (21)
After the depart of Richard Oakes and his family because of the tragic accident of his daughter's death, LaNada Boyer and John Trudell became some of the leading voices for Alcatraz. John became the leading spokesman, and she prepared for the press conferences, and did a lot of behind the scene actions. She later became the executive secretary of the Bay Area Native American Council (BANAC), and was asked to go to Washington D.C. She held meetings with John Trudell, and the rest of current Alcatraz community. (22) Towards the end of the occupation, near the summer of 1971, many of the central originators had left back for school. The island was generally being led by attorneys. With most of the people, and LaNada Boyer still remaining a big aspect of the island's remaining occupants, she tried to issue another take back of the island. The college students planned the date, and boats, and planned to take their family for a summer on Alcatraz. The day they planned to go however, the federal government took the remaining occupants off the island without a confrontation. (23)
LaNada Boyer was one of the original fourteen landers on the Island. She endured the long occupation and watched her dream come through. She was also one of the remaining leaders who saw through to the end the the success of Alcatraz. With her hope, wisdom, beliefs, and motivation she was able to encourage those around her. She is a female role model and gives us courage about a better tomorrow.
I
AIM Interview
Following is an interview of LeNada Boyer done by John Trudell, aired on "Radio Free Alcatraz." It provides a history of life on the island, and events that led up to her involvement in the occupation.
LaNada Boyer, Shoshone/ Bannock, member of Alcatraz Island Council, December 24, 1969.
Trudell: LaNada, being that you were one of the original fourteen to come out here, one of the invaders, why did you join this movement?
Boyer: Well, I guess it is a lifelong thing. It is hard to say that you just jumped into it or joined it. It comes from way back, from the reservation. The types of things you see your people going through. The type of things your family goes through. It has affected me personally and I guess the reason I went into the area that I did, where I am going to major in law...It's like I said, it's not just something you jump into. It's something that you have grown up with.
Here is a larger excerpt she responded to a question Trudell asked her. She talks about the immorality of the boarding schools, and the history of her American education.
I went to this high school, and it is typical of BIA schools on the reservations, meaning that you don't have much of a choice as far as your education, the people who are in charge of you, the teachers, and all. They teach things in their classes, like no dogs and Indians are allowed, and you are the only Indian setting in the classroom. It really makes you feel badly. The only good Indian is a dead one. I was in a classroom when a teacher said that, and I nearly died of embarrassment. I did say something about it, and I got kicked out of the classroom and I had to go to the principal and they gave me a bad time there and I eventually got kicked out of school. From there on, I was too young to quit school, so my other alternative was to go to reform school, so with that choice than they offered me BIA school, so I said I would go to the BIA school. So, I went to South Dakota, the first time which would be up to a private Indian school, and I had problems there with people trying to regiment the girls. You had classes that were actually just taking care of the headmaster and head mistress's home. It was actually only being their personal maids and servants. So I got expelled from there and I went to Oklahoma to Sherlock Indian School, where I had problems there after six weeks. They expelled me for inciting a riot I thought was right. I got kicked out again, and they sent me to a school in Nevada, to Stewart Indian school, and I couldn't get in there because I didn't have any records or something like that, so I went to Carson City High. I went half a day, but by then my records were so bad they expelled me in half a day...After I got back to my reservation, lucky enough my parents were understanding and they didn't denounce me in the way the bureau did, and the rest of people at the agency did. They said they were glad to know that "you are still you." I didn't know exactly what they meant at the time, but later on I knew they meant that they were glad I wasn't brainwashed...I came out on relocation to the Bay Area and than I tried to get into the University of California, where I was turned down. After a year or so, with the backing of some people in the Mission district, I got in as the "token Indian" in the Equal Opportunity Program, because they didn't have any Indians. That's when I heard about the plan to take Alcatraz Island. I knew than that I wanted to get involved, and I was, from the very beginning. (24)
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