Occupation of Alcatraz (1969–1971)

On November 20, 1969, a group of Native American activists calling themselves Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz Island to assert Indigenous rights and to protest federal Indian policy. The occupation lasted intermittently into June 1971 and is credited with helping to launch a national era of Native American activism and increased federal attention to Indigenous issues. The event is widely documented in contemporary news reports, government records, and later historical scholarship.