Inside the Vault: Occupation of Alcatraz

In November 1969 a group of American Indians occupied the abandoned federal prison at Alcatraz. Their 19-month occupation of the island attracted national attention to Native rights. In 1970, the activists published newsletters that outlined their goals and detailed the progress made in establishing their community on the island. In the April 15, 2021 session, CherylAnne Amendola, 2017 New Jersey History Teacher of the Year, and Robert Anderson, Educator at Hoopa Valley High School with the Hoopa Valley Reservation in California, joined us as we examined these important resources.

Click here to download the slides from the presentation. 

Classroom-ready resources for the documents presented

• Alcatraz Indians of All Tribes Newsletter, Volume 1, No. 1, January 1970
• Alcatraz Indians of All Tribes Newsletter, Volume 1, No. 2, February 1970

Use the timestamps below to jump to the topics you want to view

• Origins of Alcatraz Island and roots of the Occupation: 4:55–13:26
• Indians of All Tribes Proclamation: 13:26–30:57
• Contents of Alcatraz Indians of All Tribes Newsletter, Volume 1, No. 1 and No. 2: 30:57–53:40
• American Indian activism: 53:40–1:00:03

Related Resources

• History Now, “American Indians in Leadership,” Spring 2021 
• History Now, “American Indians,” Spring 2011