The Native Americans for a long time have faced hardships. From being removed from their land to losing many of their people and way of life. During the 1960’s Native Americans in the San Francisco Bay believed it was time to change, to find a new place to call home. They also wanted to be able to build a new university for Indians, a cultural center and a museum because their old one burned down. But, they also wanted to change the way they were being treated by the U.S. government. The government has a policy of terminating Indian reservations and the people to be relocated to urban areas. Indians disliked this because they were being forced to change and somewhat forget their culture. Children were banned from speaking their native tongue …show more content…
They returned later on that day but Oakes realized they could stay there longer. Oakes was seen as the most handsome, charismatic, and as the leader, the Chief and mayor of Alcatraz during the occupation. He went to UCLA and was able to recruit about 80 Native Americans students, and they were the majority of the hundred that occupied the island. November 11th, they had written and read to San Francisco’s KPIX-TV what they were calling ‘Proclamation to the Great White Father and his People.’ Basically what it was is that they tried to buy Alcatraz with $24 worth of beads and red cloth. That was reference to when white people bought an island from the Indians over three hundred years before. They also offered their ‘religion, education, and life-ways in order to help them achieve our level of civilization and thus raise them and all their white brothers up from their savage and unhappy state.’ This was seen throughout the country. The relationship between those that were on the island and the reporters was