They might have traveled there in tule reed boats to collect bird eggs and perhaps fish around its craggy edge. The first Spanish explorers are believed to have named it “Isla de Los Alcatraces” or “Pelican Island.” It is unclear how native people used the island. When Europeans first arrived, they encountered it as a domed rock covered in birds. Navy.Įxplore images by Yesica Prado by clicking through the viewer above, or see the entire photo essay here on a single page.Īlcatraz has always been a harsh place. Most tourists come to see the former federal prison with its lurid stories of infamous criminals such as Al Capone and the Birdman, and dramatic attempted escapes from “The Rock.” Until recently, many who visited the cell house on top of the island missed the small exhibit on the occupation, which was tucked away in an old ammunition vault in the dockside remnants of a Civil War era fort.įor the occupation anniversary, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area with the help of the original occupiers, indigenous rights activists, photojournalists and historians created a much larger exhibition on the north end of the island - “Red Power on Alcatraz Perspectives: 50 Years Later” - in the New Industries Building, where federal prisoners once did laundry for the U.S. The occupiers used red paint to repurpose a penitentiary sign with a new message.ĭue to pandemic restrictions, only 300,000 people were able to visit Alcatraz in 2020 - far below the 1.5 million who visited in 2019, with as many as 4,500 arriving daily during peak season. The activists formed a nonprofit named Indians of All Tribes and spoke out against the federal government’s termination policy - whereby Congress ordered tribes disbanded and their land sold - and other hardships endured by Native Americans. At the height of the occupation, 400 people lived on Alcatraz. Members of the group occupied the island for 19 months. 20, 1969, about 80 young Native American activists, including some children, sailed to Alcatraz. Yesica Prado / San Francisco Public PressOn Nov. Now, with most pandemic restrictions lifted, the commemoration is again under way.Īnd in a dramatic, if delayed, response to the occupation, the National Park Service is contemplating the installation of a permanent Native American cultural center on Alcatraz in collaboration with a group that formed with that as one of its key objectives more than 50 years ago. COVID-19 interrupted plans for a series of lectures, exhibitions and events to mark the historic occupation. The once faded letters look bright and new after being touched up in November 2019 by the 1969-71 occupiers or their descendants for an extensive 50th anniversary commemoration. Visitors arriving by ferry today will see bright red graffiti over the weathered prison signs proclaiming the site “Indian Land” - political messaging first painted during the 19-month-long Native American occupation of the island 50 years ago. Navigating Homelessness: Which Way Home?Īs California reopens to tourism, Alcatraz is once again drawing visitors from around the world and featuring exhibits celebrating a broader range of perspectives than previously represented on the island.Solving Homelessness: Ideas for Ending a Crisis.Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis.Coercive Control: Abuse That Leaves No Marks.
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