The Indian Occupation of Alcatraz, 1969 to 1971

Alcatraz entered a new chapter after the prison closed. This page covers the Native American occupation of the island, which lasted from late 1969 into mid 1971.

What happened

In March 1964, a year after the penitentiary closed, a small Sioux group occupied the island for a few hours and left after announcing a demand for an Indian cultural centre. On 9 November 1969, Native activists came back briefly to claim the island on behalf of Indians of all tribes.

Then on 20 November 1969 a group calling itself Indians of All Tribes started an occupation that lasted 19 months. Their goal was to create a university and cultural centre. Like the Army and the prison before them, they struggled with the expense of operating on an island, and money and supplies ran short.

More than 20,000 people visited over the year and a half, among them many Native Americans and some who were not. On the night of 1 June 1970, fires damaged several buildings, including the Officers Club and the Warden’s Residence, and with water service cut off nothing could be done to put them out. Worried about vandalism and looting, the federal government ended the occupation on 11 June 1971.

Many scholars of the American Indian movement see the occupation as a milestone for Native American rights. They point out that, among other results, the publicity helped build public support for a cultural centre and university for Native people.

Why Alcatraz?

The island had symbolic power: it was a place where people were sent to be isolated and forgotten, which is how the organisers felt Native people had been treated. Its fame also guaranteed attention. Supporters also cited a Sioux treaty with the United States, which they read as giving surplus federal land to Indians, and Alcatraz had stood empty for more than six years.

Who caused the damage?

Not the Indian occupiers, according to this account. Apart from provocative signs, some of which remain as cultural resources that help the National Park Service explain this period, the leaders did not intend to damage the island. With 20,000 people passing through, not all were Native. The Alcatraz Indian Council denied responsibility for any destruction, and others suggested that agents-provocateur were involved.

What is known is who demolished the large apartment buildings on the parade ground: after the occupation ended, the General Services Administration tore them down to prevent reoccupation, which produced the piles of rubble seen there today.

For the earlier history, see why the prison closed and the introduction to the island.