American Indian Activism: Alcatraz to the Longest Walk

Reflections of Alcatraz by LaNada Boyer

• Relocation Program:
  • In January 1965, LaNada Boyer left her Shoshone and Bannock reservation to participate in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Relocation Program in San Francisco.
  • The program aimed to relocate tribal members from reservations to major cities for work or trade opportunities due to lack of jobs on reservations.
  • The government's plan was an insidious method of depriving Native Americans of their reservation lands and membership in their tribes, with intense political pressures to gain more land for economic benefit.
• Early Life and Political Awareness:
  • Boyer was raised in tribal politics; her father was a tribal chairman who resisted government attempts to take water and lands through Shoshone Nation Land Claims.
  • She assisted her father in writing letters to officials, gaining an understanding of the ongoing conflicts and war against Native American people.
• Life in the City:
  • Native Americans in major cities socialized primarily with each other, transcending tribal divisions and uniting as natives.
  • The San Francisco Indian Center became a central point for relocated tribal members, hosting powwows, dances, and publishing a newsletter.
  • Indian organizations like the Oakland Friendship House and the San Jose Indian Center emerged in areas with significant Indian populations.
  • These organizations became recognized political units within the city.
• Political Efforts and Activism:
  • Boyer cofounded United Native Americans with Lehman Brightman to reform BIA policies and advocate for relocated Indians.
  • One of their primary goals was to enable relocated Indians to access higher education in the Bay Area.
  • The BIA eventually ended the relocation program in 1966.
• University of California, Berkeley:
  • With support from San Francisco Mission District organizations, Boyer was admitted to UC Berkeley through a special admissions program (Economic Opportunity Program) in 1968.
  • She was the first Native American student accepted through this program and later worked with Patty Silvas to develop university support for native students.
  • Boyer recruited more native students, leading to the formation of their own native student organization, which she chaired.
• Third World Strike:
  • Native American students became involved in campus unrest, including the Third World Strike at Berkeley in 1969, advocating for ethnic studies programs.
  • The Third World Strike was a significant protest, leading to arrests and campus disruptions.
  • Following the strike, Boyer became a coalition leader and negotiated for the establishment of a Department of Ethnic Studies at the university, which included Black, Chicano, Asian, and Native American studies programs.
• Alcatraz Island Claim (1964):
  • In 1964, a group of Lakota individuals, including Russell Means and others, attempted to reclaim Alcatraz Island as federal surplus property, but the media treated their efforts as a joke.
  • The island was later considered for purchase by a developer who wanted to build a casino, raising concerns that this claim would be ignored.
  • The potential development threatened the federal surplus laws and the 1868 treaty on which the Lakota claim was based.
• Symbolic Takeover:
  • Richard Oakes contacted Boyer about symbolically taking Alcatraz Island for the Indians.
  • Arrangements were made to sail around the island, and some students jumped off the boat to swim to the island to publicize the claim, with minimal publicity.
• Occupation of Alcatraz (November 1969):
  • After the San Francisco Indian Center burned down, students decided to take over Alcatraz Island as a new center for Indians in the Bay Area.
  • On November 14, 1969, a group of students, including Boyer and Oakes, rented a boat and landed on the island.
  • The group hid from the Coast Guard throughout the night.
  • The initial landing party consisted of fourteen Indian students.
• Initial Actions and Mobilization:
  • Richard Oakes made a deal with the Coast Guard, resulting in the students returning to the mainland.
  • Other students mobilized a statewide effort to get more native students to join them on the island.
  • On November 20, 1969, Native American students from various California colleges and universities arrived with their families to occupy the island.
• Life on Alcatraz:
  • The occupiers set up lookout points and camped out on the island.
  • They aimed to compel the federal government to honor treaties and focus attention on the impoverished conditions of Indian reservations and communities.
  • The occupation garnered international media attention, embarrassing the federal government.
• Diverse Visitors and Organizing the Island:
  • The island attracted diverse visitors, including tribal groups and non-natives, some of whom were reconnecting with their native identity.
  • Residents organized the island, with various individuals vying for leadership roles.
  • Richard Oakes was identified by the media as the leader.
• Island Life and Responsibilities:
  • Boyer maintained her studies at UC Berkeley while residing on the island and commuting to classes.
  • The government blocked water barges and boats from docking, but the residents managed to bring in food and provisions.
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival purchased a boat named the Clearwater to transport water to the island.
  • Residents initially lived in the prison block, adapting to the lack of water, electricity, and heat.
• Indians of All Tribes:
  • The occupiers formed an island organization called Indians of All Tribes.
  • There were rivalries and competition on the island.
  • Indian men displayed chauvinistic attitudes influenced by white society, resisting the authority of women.
• Roles and Contributions:
  • Everyone had a role on the island, from helping on boats to supporting the school.
  • Stella Leach, a registered Indian nurse, and Dr. Tepper provided medical support.
  • Grace Thorpe handled public relations with the mainland.
• Challenges and Departures:
  • Richard Oakes was injured in a bar fight and later left the island after his stepdaughter died.
  • Some Alcatraz Indians went to Washington State to support the Nisqually Indians in their fight for fishing rights.
  • Alcatraz supported efforts to establish D-Q University in Davis, California.
• Influence and Impact:
  • Alcatraz served as a catalyst for numerous documented events and inspired various Indian efforts.
• Spiritual Rebirth and Thomas Banyacya's Visit:
  • Thomas Banyacya, a translator appointed by Hopi chiefs in 1945, visited Alcatraz with his wife, Fermina. Banyacya had traveled internationally since the bombing of Hiroshima, concerned about the destructive direction of the United States.
  • Banyacya explained that the Hopi saw Alcatraz as symbolic of a spiritual rebirth, with young people representing new sprouts growing out of the “tree of Indian life,” which matched the Bay Area, with ancient roots.
• Hopi Prophecy:
  • Banyacya discussed the Hopi prophecy, stating that the world had ended three times due to the misuse of modern inventions for destructive purposes. He said that this time, people have the choice to return to the sacred circle of life or continue in a destructive direction.
  • He emphasized the need to clean up the earth and the environment before the