The lasting legacy of the Red Power Movement and the Occupation of Alcatraz
CBC Radio | Posted: November 25, 2020 9:53 PM | Last Updated: November 25, 2020
On November 20, 1969, more than 70 Indigenous people gathered in the darkness before dawn, at a small dock in San Francisco. They climbed on board small boats, set sail across the foggy harbor bound for Alcatraz Island... and landed just as the sun rose.
They intended to reclaim territory "belonging to the United States government" as Indigenous land, and they called themselves the Indians of All Tribes. When they landed on the island, they set in motion a 19-month occupation. It catalyzed a new wave of Indigenous activism and it was a turning point that ignited Native pride and has inspired generations.
It signaled the rumblings of Red Power, and the growing momentum of the American Indian Movement. Needless to say, this movement changed the way Indigenous activism was organized and perceived. And, one of its legacies was to inspire music.
You will forgive me if I tell you that my people were Americans for thousands of years before your people were. The question is not 'how you can Americanize us?' - but 'how we can Americanize you?' - John Trudell, leader of the United Indians of All Tribes' takeover of Alcatraz
This episode of Reclaimed is all about music to honour the legacy of the Red Power Movement.
Get ready to hear songs and stories from John Trudell, Buffy-Sainte-Marie, Jesse Ed Davis, Redbone, Walela, Nataanii Means, A Tribe Called Red and much more.