A look back at the takeover of Alcatraz Island

00:06:33
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyL_65M-u9k

Summary

TLDRThe video highlights the first official Indigenous Peoples' Day proclamation by an American president and a recent protest where Native American activists demanded climate action outside the White House. It reflects on the 1969-71 occupation of Alcatraz Island by Native Americans who claimed it as native land based on the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. The occupation, led by Richard Oakes, protested broken treaties and poor policies towards indigenous people, asserting cultural and heritage rights. The protest at Alcatraz, which lasted over 19 months, was instrumental in sparking the Red Power Movement, a series of indigenous rights protests and legislative advancements. Presently, Alcatraz serves as a site managed by the National Park Service to preserve and tell the modern Native American story.

Takeaways

  • 🌍 The first official Indigenous Peoples' Day was proclaimed by a U.S. president.
  • 🚶‍♂️ Native Americans protested for climate action outside the White House recently.
  • ⛓️ Alcatraz was occupied in 1969 as a protest against broken treaties.
  • 🔗 The treaty of Fort Laramie was cited during the Alcatraz occupation.
  • 📰 The Alcatraz occupation was a significant media event.
  • 🎨 The National Park Service preserves the history of the Alcatraz occupation.
  • 📜 The occupation sparked the Red Power Movement.
  • 🗣️ It inspired self-determination legislation for indigenous rights.
  • 🏔️ Alcatraz now tells a modern Native American story.
  • 👥 Descendants of occupiers continue advocacy for indigenous rights.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:06:33

    This segment discusses the historical and present significance of Indigenous Peoples' Day, highlighted by recent protests demanding government action on climate change. It also revisits the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz by Native Americans, a landmark protest highlighting broken treaties and the denial of their culture. This occupation marked a pivotal moment in Native American activism, inspiring the Red Power movement and legislative changes. The legacy of this movement endures through its descendants who champion ongoing indigenous rights issues, exemplifying resilience and the fight for cultural recognition.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What is Indigenous Peoples' Day?

    It's a day to honor and recognize the history and culture of indigenous peoples, first officially recognized by an American president recently.

  • What was the protest outside the White House about?

    Native American and environmental activists protested for greater government action on climate change.

  • What significance does Alcatraz hold for Native Americans?

    Alcatraz was occupied by Native Americans from 1969-71 to protest broken treaties and advocate for indigenous rights, sparking the Red Power Movement.

  • How long did the Alcatraz occupation last?

    The occupation lasted one year, six months, and 22 days.

  • Who was a prominent leader in the Alcatraz occupation?

    Richard Oakes was a key figure in planning and leading the occupation.

  • What is the legacy of the Alcatraz occupation?

    It led to the Red Power Movement, resulting in self-determination legislation promoting indigenous rights.

  • Are there any modern recognitions of the Alcatraz occupation at the site?

    Yes, the National Park Service manages the site and preserves its history with exhibits about the occupation.

  • How does the Alcatraz occupation continue to influence modern indigenous movements?

    It serves as an inspiration for ongoing indigenous advocacy, including water rights and missing indigenous women.

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  • 00:00:00
    [Music]
  • 00:00:10
    welcome back to cbs saturday morning
  • 00:00:12
    this year mark the first time an
  • 00:00:14
    american president has proclaimed an
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    official indigenous people's day
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    observance activists have sought to use
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    columbus day to refocus on indigenous
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    communities on monday native american
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    and environmental activists protested
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    outside the white house demanding the
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    government take greater action on
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    climate change this demonstration comes
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    50 years after the end of another
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    protest led by native americans on the
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    site of one of america's most notorious
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    prisons
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    sunrise over san francisco bay and a
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    morning of prayer
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    brought 1500 native americans from
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    574 tribes this week to what has become
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    sacred ground
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    [Music]
  • 00:01:00
    alcatraz once called the harshest
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    federal penitentiary in u.s history
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    also ignited a movement
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    on november 20 1969
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    protesters took over the rock island
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    declaring it native land citing the 1868
  • 00:01:18
    treaty of fort laramie which gave native
  • 00:01:21
    americans rights to abandon federal
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    property there was no water heat or
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    power
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    just empty prison cells and crumbling
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    buildings young people you know you
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    don't get cold because you know we come
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    from reservations and communities where
  • 00:01:39
    we don't have a lot of things and a lot
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    of conveniences lynetta warjack brought
  • 00:01:44
    fellow native american students from
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    berkeley richard oakes who planned the
  • 00:01:48
    occupation led classmates from san
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    francisco state 89 of us that landed on
  • 00:01:54
    the island we did it in protest of the
  • 00:01:57
    broken treaties the poor policies the
  • 00:02:00
    fact that they had denied us our culture
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    and our heritage this was a huge
  • 00:02:05
    declaration and a huge statement
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    university of kansas professor kent
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    blanson has written extensively about
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    the takeover this was a massive media
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    event it was stage theater the rock is
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    kind of like our march on washington
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    it's kind of like our i have a dream
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    speech in regards to creating a greater
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    indigenous future
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    today when tourists arrive on alcatraz
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    they can't help but be reminded of that
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    the national park service both manages
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    this site and preserves its past we are
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    the only national park site out of more
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    than 420 national park sites in the
  • 00:02:42
    country that preserves a modern native
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    american story steven cote a park
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    service historian curated an exhibit of
  • 00:02:51
    the occupation you go to another park
  • 00:02:54
    that was native american land or maybe
  • 00:02:56
    there was a battle there or a massacre
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    those are older stories right we're a
  • 00:03:01
    modern native american story the
  • 00:03:03
    occupiers are still here with us
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    they're still helping us to tell this
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    story that's richard oaks grandson right
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    there eloy martinez was a young
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    organizer in the occupation urban res
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    life a child in it is that you this is
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    my mom uh-huh this right here is me we
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    were getting on the boat to come to the
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    island you remember it like it was
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    yesterday yes i do because it was my
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    stable part of my life
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    and when you're a child of an activist
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    that your family is all over the place
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    when you're staying somewhere for three
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    weeks
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    that's stable and i was safe here you
  • 00:03:41
    felt safe i felt safe here much of what
  • 00:03:44
    is in this exhibit was collected by kent
  • 00:03:46
    blanson every piece too it felt like it
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    was filling a gap in our historical
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    narrative it felt like it was getting us
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    one step closer to the truth of the
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    importance and significance of this
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    massive event in american history i
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    remember my little dance i used to do
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    too what was it i used to go say it loud
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    i'm red and i'm proud and i would always
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    put my fist up
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    the occupation lasted a year six months
  • 00:04:13
    and 22 days as a child did you
  • 00:04:16
    understand what you were fighting for
  • 00:04:18
    no i did not it took a while for me to
  • 00:04:22
    get on the island to understand and the
  • 00:04:25
    first memory that i have was getting off
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    the boat and seeing the teepee you were
  • 00:04:30
    two of 89
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    occupiers why did you want to be a part
  • 00:04:35
    of this movement
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    because i've been in jail i know how our
  • 00:04:39
    people are always getting treated we're
  • 00:04:40
    always on the short end of the stick
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    that's what made me get involved the
  • 00:04:44
    occupation ended on june 11 1971
  • 00:04:49
    a footnote in the memory of mainstream
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    america but its legacy did live it's
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    really the spark that ignited the red
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    power movement that triggered hundreds
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    of other takeovers and protests
  • 00:05:01
    that would eventually culminate in about
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    29 pieces of self-determination
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    legislation sponsored by
  • 00:05:07
    richard nixon all the way up into
  • 00:05:09
    jimmy carter's administration
  • 00:05:11
    [Music]
  • 00:05:13
    the descendants of the occupiers are now
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    the hope for the future it's stronger
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    with our young people that are out there
  • 00:05:21
    fighting the fight for our water for our
  • 00:05:23
    missing murdered indigenous women and on
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    alcatraz at least a space that was once
  • 00:05:28
    a prison laundry will air out a past for
  • 00:05:32
    the present if we were to have a
  • 00:05:33
    cultural center permanently here we
  • 00:05:36
    would be able to showcase the history
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    the way that it really happened that
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    it's it's not something that was uh made
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    up and that they'll know that we're real
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    people that we're not mascots of
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    football teams or real people
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    and you know i'm a native of california
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    i never heard of this
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    so much of san francisco the bay area at
  • 00:05:57
    that time
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    was a collective of people standing up
  • 00:06:02
    for themselves from the black panthers
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    to the red movement it really showcased
  • 00:06:08
    how people came together to fight for a
  • 00:06:11
    common cause that i matter when you
  • 00:06:13
    visit alcatraz you see little things and
  • 00:06:15
    notices of native americans and graffiti
  • 00:06:17
    and whatnot and a lot of it now makes
  • 00:06:19
    more sense yeah had you heard of it no i
  • 00:06:22
    mean and going i've been alcatraz too
  • 00:06:24
    and don't remember seeing it but that
  • 00:06:25
    was decades ago the occupation lasted
  • 00:06:27
    for how long uh 19 months oh
  • 00:06:30
    all right michelle great story thank you
Tags
  • Indigenous Peoples' Day
  • Alcatraz Occupation
  • Red Power Movement
  • Native American Rights
  • Environmental Protest
  • Richard Oakes
  • Treaty of Fort Laramie
  • Self-Determination
  • Climate Change
  • Cultural Heritage