It was interesting this week to learn about the various protests conducted by Native Americans. In particular, I was interested in the occupation of Alcatraz Island. I have watched various documentaries about Alcatraz Island on television and do not ever recall hearing anything about this occupation. This serves as another example of how Native Americans are often not included in American History.
Another interesting point about the occupation of Alcatraz, is that it portrays Native Americans as active reform seekers, rather than passive victims as is usually the case. The occupation of Alcatraz Island, as well as the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building in Washington DC, demonstrate the strong ability of Native Americans to take initiative in improving their situation.
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I actually did see a show on tv about Alcatraz that mentioned the Indian occupation. Instead of focusing on the reasons behind the occupation, the show just commented on the destruction to the prison caused by the occupation. Instead of using the time spent on the occupation to inform viewers of the reasons behind it, the show just made Indians come across as rebellious and destructive.
I had no idea about the occupation of Alcatraz or the occupation of the OIA building in Washington. I also found the long walks of peace that they went through, walking across the United States and ending in Washington during the election times was a great way to get noticed and get recognition for their cause.
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