Of All Tribes

August 1, 2023
Alcatraz was not just a prison, but also a place where an idea became an Indigenous movement that persists today. The latest from Bruchac (Abenaki) focuses on the 1969 Native American occupation of Alcatraz. The book delivers a brief history of the San Francisco Bay Area, beginning with the Ohlone Tribe, the original occupants of the region. It then covers topics including Manifest Destiny, broken treaties, the Indian Removal Act, and the cultural genocide of the boarding schools, setting the stage for tensions leading up to the occupation. Bruchac notes Alcatraz's use as a prison where Native American men were unjustly imprisoned beginning in the late 19th century and traces Native rights movements leading up to November 1969, when a group of activists, mostly college students and people in their 20s, called the Indians of All Tribes, landed on Alcatraz, demanding its return. One chapter focuses on three leading figures, describng their rise. The closing chapter highlights the inspirational legacy of the Alcatraz occupation for subsequent Indian activists. Including archival photos and writing in an accessible tone, Bruchac strikes an ideal balance between allowing readers to engage with the story while also providing robust facts that make this a title with enough substance to be used as a reference for those seeking more information about this pivotal moment. A well-balanced, visually appealing, and well-contextualized account. (timeline, author's note, bibliography, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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October 1, 2023

Gr 5 Up-Prolific author Bruchac presents the history and legacy of the 1960s Indian occupations of Alcatraz Island. Bruchac dedicates the first half of the narrative to the history of the island and vignettes of Native Americans who were imprisoned there or played major roles in its occupations. This history also touches on residential schools, colonization, and the Indian Removal Act. The second half of the book explores Alcatraz's occupations, with its primary focus being the 19-month Indians of All Tribes occupation in 1969 and 1970. The occupation's legacy is complex, and this section explores Alcatraz as a Native American "pilgrimage site"; the work of Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon in regards to American Indians; many Native activists, including Richard Oakes and John Trudell; and sexism, erasure, and cultural appropriation of Native American culture by white people. Forty pages of back matter-including an extensive time line, references, and substantial index, and the contemporary and historical images included throughout-round out this densely packed, textbook-style presentation. Readers should expect a bit of jostling in the narrative's chronology and occasional conjecture, but the overall result is an illumination of what "turned out to be one of the most consequential events for Native Americans in the twentieth century." VERDICT Ideal for classroom use, this title provides an essential and frequently omitted voice to recent history.-Taylor Worley

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October 15, 2023
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* In November 1969, a group of Native Americans, including representatives from several tribes, peacefully took over Alcatraz Island. The island, historically an important spiritual site for local Indian communities, had been commandeered by the U.S. government in the mid-nineteenth century, used first as a fort, then as a prison, and then basically abandoned in 1963. Despite the lack of fresh water and the island's general state of disrepair, the Native American community continued to grow over the next 16 months, establishing an infrastructure (governing body, security, a clinic, school, and day care center) and hosting ceremonial celebrations and powwows that attracted thousands of visitors from all over the country. This history of American Indigenous peoples begins with pre-Western contact and documents their subsequent subjugation by outside powers, from Spanish conquistadors to the Mission system through broken treaties, relocations, boarding schools, and ongoing legal, judicial, and social discrimination. The Alcatraz occupation--the central event of the book--symbolized Native American unity and pride and emphasized a right to land that had been theirs for centuries. Although relatively brief, the occupation served as a catalyst for social and legislative affirmative action. This account is accessible and factual and offers vignettes and personal profiles that will resonate with readers. Photos, graphics, and rich back matter complement this narrative about an important milestone in American history.

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