Sunrise Ceremony on Alcatraz Oct. 11, 2021

Alcatraz – Editor Nube Brown attended the Oct. 11 Sunrise Ceremony to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the 1969-71 occupation of the island by our native brothers and sisters as a stand against the violent, settler colonial state’s brutal occupation of Ohlone land.

From the International Indian Treaty Council: “The Native American occupation of this site began on Nov. 20, 1969. Known as Indians of All Tribes, they rooted this action on the fact that the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), between the U.S. and the Lakota Peoples, outlined that all such retired, abandoned or otherwise un-utilized federal land should be returned to the Native people who once occupied it.

“Eighty-nine Native Americans led the occupation which, at its height, swelled to a total of 400 Natives and allies. During this time Bay Area supporters, including the Black Panthers, organized boats to deliver food and other essential supplies to the movement. The occupation held out for 19 months, ending with a forcible intervention by the U.S. government. While the physical occupation ended it sparked and ignited a movement.

The choice of Alcatraz is rife with symbolism, mirroring many Indian reservations, a place with harsh living conditions, land unsuitable for sustainable living and lack of economic possibilities. For more information on the occupation of Alcatraz, go to https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/commemorating-50th-anniversary-occupation-alcatraz.”