40th Anniversary of the Alcatraz Indian Occupation

Photo: [Indians invade Alcatraz Island]. [1969 Nov. 20] Photo courtesy of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, San Francisco Public Library.

Alcatraz Island was occupied in November 1969 by about 100 Native Americans, many of them students, the Indians of All Tribes. Led by Richard Oakes, the occupation was organized to draw attention to the plight of Native Americans and to encourage their self-determination. After changes in leadership, the influx of non-Native persons, growing violence and drug abuse, and increasing isolation of the community, the federal government was prompted to remove the Indians from the island in June 1971.

Following the evacuation of the island, the records were transferred to the custody of the Federal Records Center, San Francisco, until their release to Frederic S. Baker, legal representative of the Indians of All Tribes, Inc., in October 1971. In June 1972 Baker donated the records to the Special Collections Department of the San Francisco Public Library.

The records contain materials which document activities of the Indians of All Tribes, the governing Council, and individuals. These include meeting minutes, correspondence, legal files, publications, and photographs.

This collection is available for browsing at the San Francisco History Center. You can also download a detailed guide for this collection. (PDF)
...