108 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
108 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
The **Occupation of Alcatraz** was a 19-month long protest
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[occupation](occupation "wikilink")
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([1969](Timeline_of_Indigenism "wikilink") -
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[1971](Revolutions_of_1967_-_1975 "wikilink")) when 89 indigenous
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Americans and their supporters occupied Alcatraz Island in San
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Francisco, [USA](United_States_of_America "wikilink"). This group lived
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on the island together until the protest was forcibly ended by the U.S.
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government.
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## Background
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Since the [creation](American_Revolution "wikilink") of the
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[USA](United_States_of_America "wikilink"), its government had acted in
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an extremely oppressive manner towards the indigenous population.
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Violating treaties made, subjecting them to brutal racism and stealing
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their lands.
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In the 1960s, the success of the [civil rights
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movement](Civil_Rights_Movement_\(USA\) "wikilink") kicked off a global
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wave of unrest as women, workers, ethnic minorities, environmentalists,
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indigenous people and the LGBT community demanded greater rights and
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power. In the USA, the indigenous movement became fairly big.
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Alcatraz, a former prison island, had been abandoned by the federal
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government and in 1964, a small group of indigenous protesters occupied
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Alcatraz Island for four hours and offered to buy the island for $9.40,
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the price that it was sold to the US government with the provision that
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the US got to continue to use the island's lighthouse for coast guard
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activities.
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After the loss of the San Francisco Indian Center, which provided
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indigenous people with jobs, healthcare, legal aid and social
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opportunities there was an increased amount of tension with the
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government.
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## Events
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In the early morning of the 20th of November, 1969, 89 indigenous
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Americans, including more than 30 women, students, married couples and 6
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children attempted to land on the island. The coast guard intercepted 75
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of the protesters, but 14 managed to slip through and landed on the
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island. The island's lone guard, who had been warned of the impending
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occupation, sent out a message on his radio. "Mayday\! Mayday\!" he
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called. "The Indians have landed\!"
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Indigenous and non-indigenous people supported the occupation, supplies
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were delivered secretly by canoes which avoided coast guard patrols.
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Additionally, the [International Longshore and Warehouse
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Union](International_Longshore_and_Warehouse_Union "wikilink") supported
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the occupation, threatening [to shut down California's major
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ports](Political_Strike "wikilink") if the protesters were evicted.
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Protesters also set up a radio station called "Radio Free Alcatraz"
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which made 39 30-minute broadcasts of which some can be listened to
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here. The host, Isani Sioux John Trudell (considered by the FBI to be
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very dangerous, despite being completely nonviolent) spoke about issues
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facing the indigenous communities in the USA, including the forcible
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loss of ancestral lands, matters of spirituality, seriously contaminated
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water supply on Native reservations, sharp inequalities in infant
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mortality and life expectancy among indigenous americans compared to the
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majority white US public. At the height of the occupation more than 400
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protesters lived on the island and support groups made consistent
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contact with the media and government.
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The demands listed by the protesters included:
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- Complete control of Alcatraz by indigenous people
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- Construction of a cultural centre that included indigenous studies
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- Construction of an indigenous spiritual centre
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- Construction of an ecology centre
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- Construction of an indigenous american museum
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The ILWU helped supply the occupation and several celebrities came out
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in support. Electrical generators, water barge and an ambulance service
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were provided to the island by supporters.
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### Collapse
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On the 3rd of January, 1970, a 13-year old girl fell to her death on the
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island, prompting her family to leave. In addition, drug addiction and
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burnout led to many people leaving the island, and soon non-indigenous
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people were banned from staying on the island overnight. Electricity and
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telephones to the island was cut by the government, destroying Radio
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Free Alcatraz and the occupations reputation began to worsen. Internal
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divisions among protesters also began to heighten tensions, including
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accusations of [co-optation](co-optation "wikilink") by celebrity
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supporters. Faced with internal divisions, lack of fresh water and
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electricity, decreasing public support, people began leaving the
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occupation until just 15 people remained who were removed by a large
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[police](police "wikilink") raid on the 11th of June, 1971.
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## Results
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Along with the [Wounded Knee
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Occupation](Wounded_Knee_Occupation "wikilink"), this became one of the
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most notable actions of the indigenous movement in the USA and the
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protests of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1975, the Indian
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Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 was passed by
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Congress, leading to greater equality and empowerment of indigenous
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communities in the USA, although it was still not enough. The Alcatraz
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Occupation led to an annual celebration of the rights of indigenous
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people, Unthanksgiving Day. The occupation also inspired over 200
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incidents of indigenous civil disobedience across the USA in the
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following years.
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## References
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[Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") - [Occupation of
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Alcatraz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Alcatraz) |