Indians of All Tribes – Health is a Human Right

Indians of All Tribes

A group of young adults draped in blankets stand on a concrete ledge. The sign on the building behind them reads "United States Property, Alcatraz Island," and has been defaced with paint to blot out the government notification that none are allowed ashore without a pass. The graffiti reads, "Indians Welcome," "United Indian Property," and "Indian land." — Members of the Indians of All Tribes group occupying the former prison at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, 1969
Courtesy of Associated Press

Beginning in November 1969, Indians of All Tribes, a group of 78 activists, occupied Alcatraz Island for 19 months. The group demonstrated for the rights of American Indians, including the return of illegally taken lands. A mix of radicalism and American Indian traditionalism, Indians of All Tribes’ action represented the start of a new activism movement.