| SAN FRANCISCO |
| ALCATRAZ ISLAND |
| I'm In Jail Without No Bail! |
| FAMOUS INMATES |
| Prison Infirmary |
| BIRDMAN |
| MACHINE GUN |
| SCARFACE |
| Indian Occupation of Alcatraz Island In the early morning hours of November 20, 1969, 79 American Indians, including students, married couples and six children, set out to occupy Alcatraz Island. A partially-successful Coast Guard blockade prevented most of them from landing, but fourteen protesters landed on the island to begin their occupation. The stated intention of the Occupation was to gain Indian control over the island for the purpose of building a center for Native American Studies, an American Indian spiritual center, an ecology center, and an American Indian Museum. The occupiers specifically cited their treatment under the Indian termination policy and they accused the U.S. government of breaking numerous Indian treaties. By late May, the government had cut off all electrical power and all telephone service to the island. In June, a fire of disputed origin destroyed numerous buildings on the island. Left without power, fresh water, and in the face of diminishing public support and sympathy, the number of occupiers began to dwindle. On June 11, 1971, a large force of government officers removed the remaining 15 people from the island. |
