7. The siege of Alcatraz 1969 Flashcards
background info on island of Alcatraz
originally belonged to the Ohlone Indians
taken and used as a jail
now stood empty
what did siege of Alcatraz entail
Group of NA (from a range of tribes) occupied Alcatraz and demanded its return
who was siege led by
Led by Richard Oakes (member of the Mohawk tribe)
symbolic gesture
occupiers offered the government $24 in beads and cloth, the price that had been paid to NA for the island of Manhattan
gov refuses offer =
numbers involved in siege increased to 80
how long did siege last
almost 19 months
group of NA under name of _____ occupied the island
‘Indians of All Nations’
based on interpretation of which treaty
1868 Fort Laramie Treaty - believed granted them the right to reclaim any land originally theirs that had been sold to and subsequently abandoned by US government
Positive achievements
worldwide media coverage =
raised awareness of conditions of NA. May have forced government to reconsider its policies
Positive achievements
Encouraged other NA to become involved in the movement
how many NA visit island during siege
10,000
Positive achievements
Important in bringing NA together and uniting them in their struggle.
significant change from
start of period when tribes were divided.
Positive achievements
Increased awareness in the need for
solidarity if NA were to achieve goal of ‘native sovereignty’ (self-determination)
Positive achievements
hugely important-
NA were unable to achieve anything through a ballot box as they made up only 1% of the electorate
some debate about impact of actions
brought NA policy, some argues that the struggle was counterproductive went against NA beliefs as armed force and police ended occupation
violence split the movement (some opposed) limiting their impact
