Eloy Martinez, a Southern Ute who took part in the Native American occupation, raises a fist Wednesday while making his way to ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the occupation on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. About 150 people gathered at Alcatraz to mark the 50th anniversary of a takeover of the island by Native American activists. Original occupiers, friends, family and others assembled Wednesday morning for a program that included prayer, songs and speakers.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Theda New Breast, left, and Aurora Mamea, of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, make their way to ceremonies for the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
People make their way past a teepee and large photographs that are part of an exhibit for the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation on Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Dennis Turner, who took part in the Native American occupation, begins to repaint and restore messages painted above the main dock on Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco. About 150 people gathered at Alcatraz to mark the 50th anniversary of a takeover of the island by Native American activists.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Sacheen Littlefeather, second from right in the front row, listens to ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco. About 150 people gathered at Alcatraz to mark the 50th anniversary of a takeover of the island by Native American activists. Original occupiers, friends, family and others assembled Wednesday morning for a program that included prayer, songs and speakers. They then headed to the dock to begin restoring messages painted by occupiers on a former barracks building. In 1973 Littlefeather represented Marlon Brando at the Oscars to decline his Best Actor award.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Kanyon Sayers-Woods sings during ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation on Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco. About 150 people gathered at Alcatraz to mark the 50th anniversary of a takeover of the island by Native American activists.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Tyrone Herbert Simmons, of Auburn, Wash., wears a red fist necklace while waiting to board a boat to attend ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation on Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
An Indians of All Tribes identification card is on display as part of an exhibit marking the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation on Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco. About 150 people gathered at Alcatraz to mark the 50th anniversary of a takeover of the island by Native American activists.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
On Nov. 12, 2019, Eloy Martinez, who took part in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz 50 years earlier, stands in the cell that he used to sleep in and looks out at tourists visiting the island in San Francisco.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
On Nov. 12, 2019, Eloy Martinez, who took part in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz 50 years earlier, stands by a teepee on the island and looks out toward the bay and Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The week of Nov. 18, 2019, marks 50 years since the beginning of a months-long Native American occupation at Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
On Nov. 26, 1969, Native Americans play ball games at the main dock area on Alcatraz in San Francisco during their occupation of the island. The week of Nov. 18, 2019, marks 50 years since the beginning of a months-long Native American occupation at Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. The demonstration by dozens of tribal members had lasting effects for tribes, raising awareness of life on and off reservations, galvanizing activists and spurring a shift in federal policy toward self-determination.
Associated Press file
SAN FRANCISCO – For Eloy Martinez, returning to Alcatraz Island meant a joyous reunion with people he hadn’t seen in decades. It also brought a renewed sense of hope and pride.
Martinez was among about 150 people who took windy boat rides to the island Wednesday for the first of three days of events marking the 50th anniversary of the island’s takeover by Native American activists. Martinez, who is Southern Ute, was one the original occupiers.
“It’s a day full of smiles, seeing all the people that we hadn’t seen – some I hadn’t seen in 50 years,” the 80-year-old said. “I wish ... indigenous people could all be here and see all these people here today making the statement that we’re still here, and we’re going to be here, and we’re still resisting, and we’re not quitting.”
Jason Morsette, of New Town, North Dakota, looks out toward the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge through barred windows during ceremonies for the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
The occupation began Nov. 20, 1969, and lasted 19 months. Although it ended with people being forcibly removed from the island, it is widely seen as a watershed moment for tribes, reinvigorating them to stand up for their land, their rights and their identities. It also helped usher in a shift in federal policy toward self-determination, allowing tribes to take over federal programs on their land.
On Wednesday, speakers shared stories from the occupation and discussed its continuing relevance, including the inspiration it provides for today’s indigenous protesters, like those fighting a planned giant telescope on Hawaii’s Big Island.
They also helped restore messages painted by occupiers on a former barracks building at the Alcatraz dock. The words read: “Indians Welcome,” “United Indian Property” and “Indian Land.”
Ruth Orta leads a prayer during ceremonies for the 50th anniversary of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco. About 150 people gathered at Alcatraz to mark the 50th anniversary of a takeover of the island by Native American activists.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Dennis Turner, who is Luiseno, was among those who wrote the original messages, and was there to help restore them. He said activists at the time felt they needed to take a stand for all Native Americans.
“That’s why people came here – to protect our tribal nations, sovereignty, our traditions, our religion and our sacred medicine that keep our tribal nations powerful,” Turner said.
Jason Morsette attended the anniversary with his mother, Geneva Seaboy, another original occupier. He said he’s grateful that she and other activists were willing to fight for Native Americans’ land and treaty rights.
Being at Alcatraz and seeing their role in history was “unbelievable,” said Morsette, who is Dakota/Chippewa and Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara.
Eloy Martinez, on the center scaffolding, who took part in the original Native American occupation, waves while helping to repaint and restore messages painted above the main dock on Alcatraz Island Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in San Francisco.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Anniversary events also included the opening of an exhibit on the island called “Red Power on Alcatraz: Perspectives 50 Years Later,” which features posters from the occupation, newsletters, photographs, film, skateboards and information on the occupation’s organizers. It also includes political buttons that illustrate how the movement influenced the 1972 presidential race.
The items come from the personal collection of Kent Blansett, an associate professor of history at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has written about Alcatraz. Blansett said presidential candidates in the 1970s were trying to appeal to Native Americans who captured the attention of the federal government with the Alcatraz takeover.
Eloy Martinez, who took part in the Native American occupation of Alcatraz 50 years earlier, looks over a group photograph showing the occupiers displayed in an exhibit on the island in San Francisco. The week of Nov. 18, 2019, marks 50 years since the beginning of a months-long Native American occupation at Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay.
Eric Risberg/Associated Press
Blansett said the occupation resonates with students he teaches because it started with people attending universities in the greater San Francisco area.
“It really wakens my students to what they can actually accomplish and what they can do, that they’re not limited to making change in their lifetimes,” he said.
The exhibit in the New Industries Building will be up for 19 months.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to our policies
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.