We Hold The Rock

In November of 1969, a group of Native American students from the Bay Area of San Francisco symbolically claimed the Island of Alcatraz for themselves. They were led by Richard Oakes and made demands for use of the island as a cultural center and and Indian university. The longest occupation lasted 19 months. Eventually people from the hippie and drug culture joined the Indians.

The government refused to give them any of their demands and made it appear that they were negotiating but in all actuality were just waiting, assuming the occupation would die out and the Indians would give up. The government shut off electricity and took the water barge that supplied fresh water to the island.

Originally the press was sympathetic to the Indians but after a year began publishing stories of beatings and assaults occurring on the island.

Finally Nixon gave the okay to remove the Indians from the island. Although the Indians didn't get the land, during their occupation on Alcatraz, Nixon returned Blue Lake and 48,000 acres of land to the Taos Indians. the Bureau of indian Affairs offices lead to the hiring of Native American's to work in the federal agency, and occupied land in California became a Native American University.

*info obtained from nps.org