Lesson Plan: The Occupation of Alcatraz Island
Grades 9-12
American Indian activists occupied Alcatraz Island and the abandoned federal penitentiary on its grounds in 1969. It was an act of protest with roots in centuries of contentious relations between the United States government and American Indian tribes. The occupation sparked a national movement calling for a return to tribal self determination and a fulfillment of treaty obligations. It served as a catalyst for a national movement sometimes referred to as the Red Power movement.
This lesson is designed to introduce students to the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969, placing the episode within the historical context of tribal relations with the federal government. It addresses Constitutional obligations to uphold treaties and the occupation’s impact on the Red Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
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