Lanada War Jack News Today

Non-profit news outlet Retro Report recently released a short film, , about the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz Island, which sparked a wave of Native American activism in the 1970s. Native News Online sat down with the film’s producer, Colleen Thurston (Choctaw Nation), to discuss how the occupation of Alcatraz was the beginning of the modern Indigenous rights era, what inspired her to create this film, and what she would like Native and non-Native audiences to gain from watching.

Unthanksgiving Day: A celebration of Indigenous resistance to colonialism, held yearly at Alcatraz.

Since then, with exception to during the Covid-19 pandemic, American Indians have journeyed from the mainland to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay on Thanksgiving Day. Previously the day was called “Un-Thanksgiving Day. In modern times, Alcatraz Island has become a symbol to American Indians.

In 1975, “Unthanksgiving Day” was established to both mark the occupation and advocate for Indigenous self-determination.

The Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Sunrise Ceremony spotlights 500 years of Native resistance to colonialism in the “New World.”

Each year on the fourth Thursday of November, when many people start to take stock of the marathon day of cooking ahead, Indigenous people from diverse tribes and nations gather at sunrise in San Francisco Bay.Their gathering is meant to mark a different occasion – the Indigenous People’s Thanksgivi...

The origins of the Indigenous People’s Thanksgiving Sunrise Ceremony, held on the traditional lands of the Ohlone people, go back to 1969, a pivotal moment of Indigenous activism.

In the middle of the night on Nov. 20, 1969, a group of mostly young Native Americans escaped to Alcatraz, landing on the shores of Alcatraz Island. The occupation's demands: that the island be turned over to Indigenous Americans.

Artist Barbara Mumby paints portraits of Indigenous women from the Bay Area who have dedicated themselves to supporting the Native community.

Tucked away just east of Sather Tower sits Stephens Hall, a space that is home to the ethnic studies department and the departmental library, both which play an integral part in UC Berkeley’s history of civil disobedience.