Alcatraz Proclamation
In the period 20 November 1969, through 10 June 1971, a group of Native Americans took possession of Alcatraz Island and held it as Indian Land. This “Occupation of the Island of Alcatraz” was initiated and led by a group of Native Americans that called themselves the “Indians of All Tribes”, or IAT.
This Alcatraz occupation lasted a total of 14 months and came to an end when the occupying Indians were removed with force by the US government. The IAT group was claiming the island while they were citing the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty between Sioux and the US government.
The treaty included the return of all abandoned, retired, or out-of-use lands in federal possession to Native peoples. Upon the closing of the Alcatraz penitentiary institution in 1963, the federal government had declared Alcatraz the island as retired (or surplus) federal property. So activists of the Red Power movement reclaimed the island. On 9 March 1964, a group of Sioux, including Richard McKenzie, occupied Alcatraz Island for the duration of four hours.