>> Once again, thank
you everybody
for joining us this morning
on this in my perspective,
history in the making of
keeping our story alive here
on Alcatraz.
There were lot of adults that
were the leaders and came
and did what they had to do
to occupy Alcatraz and a lot
of those leaders were parents.
And so, there's-- there was
a lot children like myself
and my siblings that were here
to experience the occupation
and see what our
parents were doing.
I would like to introduce
somebody that is very,
very dear to me and she also
was here during the occupation
and her father is the one
who started this whole
thing, Richard Oakes.
I'd like to introduce to you my
dear friend/sister, Fawn Oakes.
[ Noise & Applause ]
[ Noise ]
>> Now, where is my brother and
my sister, Victoria and my son.
>> Here, you want
to speak into this.
>> I've never seen
my son or my sister--
>> Elijah?
>> Victoria.
>> Victoria?
>> My brother, Lenny.
Okay. They didn't
want to come up.
[laughter] There's
an Indian for you.
[laughter] They want
to be in the back.
>> Here put it--
put it more close.
>> Oh.
>> Okay.
>> See, I'm not used to
being [inaudible], come on.
This is my other sister and
her father was a girlfriend
of my father and they're still
together on [inaudible] and also
for the rights of
the native people
that were here long
before it was taken
over hundreds of years ago.
There's my son, my baby.
>> Oh.
>> My brother here is
the one that was on--
one of them that was
playing around here.
And so, there's Leonard.
And I'm going to give it to
Victoria but before I do,
I want to say that I thank
everyone for being here
and thank you everyone
for being a part of this.
All those that made this happen
whether it is financially
or whether it is spiritually.
It's all very, very needed and
I just want to-- and all those--
those ones that are here today.
And so, I'm feeling
a little bit nervous
and I think it's the walk.
[laughter] And I
apologize for that.
First of all, I want to say,
my father came from New York
because he was an ironworker.
And over there, they were
talking about this bridge.
And this bridge was going to
be built and he was in a union.
And in that union, there
was a group of natives
that were Mohawks and
that's what he started
over here in this land.
A lonely land, right?
>> Yes.
>> Yes. [laughter]
>> I forgive-- I forgive
things so quickly.
In a young, he was here and then
he's seen the common struggle
that was here and
all the reservations.
When he was coming
from New York,
there were recruiting other
ironworkers from other people
in the reservation--
the reserve.
And that's how he came
here in this land.
And then he's seen their
struggle and he was a part
of the beginning of
what we see today.
And I heard someone saying,
I think my sister said
that we are still
here, my sister Chris.
She said that we are still
here because we are not hidden.
We're not forgotten.
We're still standing
strong with one another.
>> Oh.
>> Oh.
>> Oh.
[ Applause ]
>> That was some really
powerful words by Fawn.
I was hoping, I could
bring up my little sisters
that are here and my son.
If Mickey Gimmell's family can
hear me, can you please come
up with me really quick, please?
[Inaudible Remark] Okay.
If Mickey Gimmell's
family is here,
can you please come up here?
>> Here he comes.
[ Noise ]
[ Inaudible Remark ]
[ Noise ]
>> Some of you may know, my
father, he has since passed on,
but I just wanted with
my sisters and my son,
we want to honor the
occupiers that came over here
and originally took
over Alcatraz.
And also honor my father.
So, we just want to say
thank you and we're happy
that this exhibit is here so it
can educate future generations.
And this is Honor,
Nichele [phonetic]
and Derick [phonetic].
And I'm Victoria.
And I'll go ahead and let
someone else speak now,
but thank you.
>> Oh. [applause]
>> Mickey Gimmell
was on the Board
of the International
Indian Treaty Council
and he was a freedom fighter
from way back then for the land
of the people, the Pitt River
people for all those years
that he used to come out.
Those of you who came to
Alcatraz year after year,
remember, he would sing
that first morning blessing
every year until his passing.
So, really grateful to
have his family here
and Victoria has really stepped
up to try to carry on his legacy
as well as the rest
of the family.
And next, we want to
give some time to the man
who pulled this all
together behind the scene.
He's the great Oz, you
know, behind the curtain.
[laughter] So, Phil
Klasky, welcome.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
>> I like that, the great Oz.
[laughter] Good morning.
Welcome everyone.
What a special today
it is today with--
because all of you were here.
Thank you Lakota and Chris
for emceeing this event.
They're going to
be up here all day.
I'm one of the curators
of the exhibit.
I teach in the Departments
of American Indian Studies
and Ethnic Studies at San
Francisco State University.
And you'll soon find out, the
exhibit is right behind there
and it's a relatively
small space.
But you know, the National Park
Service told us we're going
to get a bigger space
in the future, right?
>> Oh.
>> So what do you
think about that, yeah?
"We are still here."
It's a frequent exclamation
by Ann Marie Sayers.
We bring hundreds of students to
Indian Canyon and she'll stand
up there in her wonderful
voice and say--
>> We're still here.
[laughter]
>> The exhibit is
a collaboration
between San Francisco
State University,
Cal State University East Bay,
Cal State University Long Beach,
the International
Indian Treaty Council,
the Richard Oakes
Multicultural Center,
the Cesar Chavez Institute,
the Center for Resilient
Communities,
and a nonprofit organization,
The Cultural Conservancy.
You'll be hearing
from representatives
from all those groups.
Very importantly, I would like
to ask the now former students
who originally put this
exhibit together to come forward
and stand up here please.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
Not bad, huh.
Max Hampton, Stephen McBride,
Jake Stillman, Ben Graber,
not here today are
Monika Nakadate,
Salvador Sanchez Strawbridge,
and Fabian Caballero.
Did any of you want to say
anything to the folks here?
>> Oh, please?
>> Ben, say something.
>> I just want-- I just wanted
to say that it's really an honor
to be here and when we're,
you know, formulating the idea
for all of this, it was
something that needed
to be heard and need-- the story
needed to be told and it's just
so great to see all these
people here in all these years
of work really, you know,
it came to something
and to honor the people
that occupied Alcatraz
and made their voices be heard.
It's really-- you know, just
to be a small part of that
and to do what we can do to
get that story out there.
I'm a history teacher now
and I tell the story
to all my students.
So, everybody, you
know, knows the story
and it's just an
ongoing process.
So, thank you.
>> Oh. [applause]
>> I just want to say
that being here today
and seeing the success
and with the cooperation
of the National Park Service
and just all the good energy
and all the really
wonderful people that we have
that made this possible.
It's really a dream come true
and this is for everybody
and the millions of people
that come to Alcatraz
or now going to see
this exhibit.
And they're all going
to be educated
and that's the goal,
is education.
And I just want to
say thank you, thank--
thank you to everybody.
>> Oh. [applause]
>> Oh. [laughter]
>> It's been a privilege and an
honor to work on this project.
When I started to get
involved couple years ago,
I had no idea this is
where it would end up.
To see this thing [inaudible]
from this idea into this,
just kind of the coolest thing.
So, it's been really great
working with you guys
and had a lot of fun of it.
>> Oh.
>> Okay. Thank you so much.
We're going to hang out there
and you can talk to them.
>> I have a little-- thank you.
>> Free ferry rides anytime?
>> No, not quite.
>> Okay. [laughter]
>> But you know, if you
call me, we can always see--
>> We'll arrange it and you
can bring your class here.
Okay. Thank you so much.
>> All right.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> I have the honor of
thanking a lot of people.
So you'll see historical
interpretation inside the
exhibit as provided by Cal
State Long Beach professor
and Alcatraz historian, Troy
Johnson who sends his best.
He could not be here today.
But we certainly honor
his contribution.
All along the way we have
received invaluable advice
and assistance from Morning
Star Gali, Christina Longoria,
Betty Parent, Mary Jane
Robertson, Kim Shuck,
Julio Mambul [phonetic], Eloy
Martinez, and other members
of the native community.
So, we honor your contribution
so much and your advice.
Jesus Garcia created the
painting on the [inaudible]
that you saw when
you came in there.
A native poetry panel
inside the exhibit
which was added was
curated by Kim Shuck,
and Penny Opal Plant will
be talking about that today.
And the all important financial
support for the production
of the exhibit and
its initial showing
on the island was
provided by Ben Graber,
the Richard Oakes Multicultural
Center, Cesar Chavez Institute,
Center for Resilient
Communities,
and we had an angel this
time around, Andrea Longoria,
and with the Service
[background applause] Employees
International Union Local
1021 Native American Office.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
Major funding for the
permanent installation
and did I mention the
National Park Service is going
to give us a bigger
space in the future?
>> Yeah. [laughter]
[Inaudible Remark]
>> Yeah. It's the result
of the enthusiastic support
and dedication of Andrea
Longoria and SEIU Local 1021,
and the Longoria family.
There are members of the
executive board and members
of the Longoria family.
We would like you stand so we
can honor your contribution.
[applause] You want
to come here?
You want to come here?
You want to come show us?
Thank you for making
this happen.
The exhibit was first shown at
the Cesar Chavez Student Center
at San Francisco State
University Art Gallery
for about a month in 2010.
And that ranger who just came up
here and handed out credit cards
to the students [laughter],
Craig Glassner visited
the exhibit.
He went inside.
He took a look at
it and he said,
"This should be shown
on the island."
And we agreed, very
exciting offer.
So, we've spent six months
here on Alcatraz in 2011
in a revolving gallery
up on the hill
and received enthusiastic
response from the public
and the Native American
community wrote
to the National Park Service
and said, "This should expanded.
We need a permanent
place for the exhibit."
A few months later,
I got a phone call
from Golden Gate National
Park Association historical
interpreter, Teresa Williams
who you'll see in a moment,
who told me that the exhibit
was much to be important
to be sitting in boxes and
that she was on a mission.
And so, Teresa and a
volunteer, Allison Kephart,
dedicated their time,
volunteered time
to find a permanent place
on the island today.
So, can the two of you
come forward, please?
[Inaudible].
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
So this is Teresa Williams.
This is Allison Kephart, thank
you so much, the two of you
for making this happen.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
And for all the bagels and the
hot chocolate too this morning.
[laughter] I've a lot
other people to thank.
So many people contributed
to this project.
Deborah Morgan, could
you come forward, please?
Museum Studies graduate
students,
San Francisco State
University led the effort
for the permanent installation
with-- you name it--
[applause]-- thank you Deborah.
Great work.
>> Thank you.
>> We have so many
volunteers today.
Charlotte Stanton [phonetic],
Dana Kennedy [phonetic],
Daniel Parento [phonetic],
Ann Chavez.
I want to thank to Dr.
Francine Shakir and Aimee Barnes
from the San Francisco State
Cesar Chavez Student Center
and Richard Oakes
Multicultural Center,
Dr. Belinda Reyes who'll your
hear from and Miguel Casuso
from the San Francisco State
Cesar Chavez Institute,
Dr. Melissa Nelson, and
Dr. Nicola Wagenberg
from the nonprofit organization,
the Cultural Conservancy.
I want to thank my
partner Katherine Powell,
who also teaches at
San Francisco State
and she is a director
at the Labor Archives
and Research Center, Tony
Gonzales with AIM-WEST.
Tony, are you around?
>> Yes.
>> Tony, would you?
>> Oh.
[ Applause ]
>> Thank you, Tony.
And he's going to be
saying a few words.
>> Oh. [laughter] Please, my
relatives thank you very much
and we're here to stay.
We're not just here,
we're here to stay.
And-- it all began here
in '69 it send a
thunderclap around the world.
And today, as you all know,
the United Nations passed
the Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples,
passed in 2007.
So, we all need to get
familiar with that declaration
and push it and challenge
not only governments,
but the cities where
we are today.
Thank you very much.
>> All right.
>> Thank you, Tony.
[ Applause ]
The list continues,
Gabriela Segovia-McGahan,
Molly Ransone, and Maggie Beers.
Some academic technology,
filmmaker James Fortier
who I didn't see.
James, are you around?
Dr. Andrew Jolivette and
Dr. John Carlos Perea,
and the San Francisco
State University Department
of American Indian
Studies faculty, Franko Ali
and Hunter Smith from the
Cesar Chavez Student Center,
Ranger Craig Glassner.
Craig, are you around?
Come on forward.
[applause] A man of few words.
>> I want to also mention a
couple other names, John Plutte,
who was with our park
association at the time was one
of the people that help
make the park service.
We hold the rock exhibit
which we're all sharing
that space for the time being.
And their departed friend
who was very instrumental,
not only in the We Hold The
Rock project in our video,
but as well the only Pow
Wow that's ever been held
on Alcatraz in this history
which was a few years
after the exhibit opened.
Unfortunately, she passed
away a few years later,
Millie [inaudible] shout out.
>> Oh.
>> Oh.
>> I want to say, how
much we missed Millie.
I talked to her after the Pow
Wow which was an amazing event.
Some of you, I hope were there.
>> Oh, yeah.
>> And it was amazing.
And we talked about after a year
break, 'cause she just spent
so much of her time without
payment working on the exhibit
and working on the Pow Wow.
She said, "Well, I need to
take a year off, "and you know,
before we look at having the
Pow Wow become an annual event,
but unfortunately, it didn't.
So, I'm planting a seed
that Alcatraz should be a
placed for annual Pow Wow.
It's going to be a lot of work.
>> Oh. [applause]
>> Has to come from
the community.
People ask me, "Well, when
are you going to do that?"
They go, "Well, it's
not for us to do.
We'll be here to make it happen.
It's for you to do."
So, I just want to plant
that seed because it was one
of the most amazing days I ever
had on the island and I was sad
with Millie's passing that
her energy was no longer there
to help make that [inaudible]
that had been happened so.
>> Thank you, Craig.
>> Oh. [applause]
>> I want to thank Kim
Breeden, Michael Fo [phonetic],
the National Park
Service, Dr. Ken Monteiro,
Dean of the College of Ethnic
Studies at San Francisco State,
Alex Cherian from the Bay
Area Television Archive.
So, you'll here from Dr. Enrique
Salmon from Cal State East Bay,
Department of Ethic Studies,
Mark Anquoe in the International
Indian Treaty Council,
Eloy Martinez, Ed Willie, and
other occupation veterans.
There are a few occupation
veterans here today and we'd
like you to stand
and be recognized.
Come forward please.
All occupation veterans
who were here today.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
[ Drumbeat & Chanting ]
[ Applause ]
[ Drumbeat & Chanting ]
[ Inaudible Remark ]
>> Lakota is now giving gifts,
small gift of posters
to all the veterans.
>> We did a--
>> And later on, we're
going to have some photo ops
for the veterans after
the Aztec dancers.
Thank you so much.
[ Noise ]
In his famous proclamation,
Richards Oakes once said,
"It would be fitting and
symbolic that ships from all
over the world entering the
Golden Gate would first see
Indian land and thus be
reminded the true history
of this nation."
I'd like to say that it
is fitting and symbolic
that visitors from all
over the world who come
to Alcatraz Island learn more
about the historic
American-Indian occupation
and the movement for
indigenous rights
that continues to this day.
Thank you.
[applause] Thank you.
Teresa. Would you
come forward please?
[ Noise ]
>> So, good morning everyone.
I want to thank you very much
for coming out here to Alcatraz
and for attending
this exhibit opening.
My name is Teresa and I work
for the Golden Gate
National Parks Conservancy
and as Phil mentioned, when
the exhibit was taken down from
where it originally
up in the cell house
and I saw it just being
stored in the hospital,
I knew that wasn't right
and needed to be displayed
out here on the islands.
So, I want to start by
saying, "We made it."
It's been a lot of work
to get to this point.
[applause] This exhibit opening
has been months in the making
with hours of planning,
stress, joy, and bargaining,
and it's brought
us to these points.
But today, today is the
day that we celebrate
and we remember the brave
young men and women who came
to this island 44 years ago
and made a stand and was here
on these tiny desolate
island that a voice, powerful
and strong stated a
prevailing message
that resonated across
the country.
A voice that stated
strongly, "We are still here."
The 19-month occupation
of Alcatraz had long
lasting effects.
It changed governmental
policy and it brought the play
of native people in this
country to the limelight.
And today, we are here to honor
those that occupy this island.
There are many people I want to
thank for making today possible.
I want to thank Marcus Koenen,
who is actually our site
supervisor for Alcatraz.
He's not here today,
but thank to him.
For John Moran, my
supervisor who allowed me
to work on to this project.
My coworkers for being flexible
with my schedule and allowing me
to participate in this.
I want to thank you
to my right-hand ladies
both Allison Kephart
and Kelsey Taylor [phonetic]
and I really want to thank
in particular, Allison
Kephart who made this part
of her Girl Scout
Gold Award Project.
She actually helped me
tirelessly on this exhibit,
emails flying back and forth,
did a lot of organizing.
And I also want to honor Kelsey.
Thank you very much for
being here and all the help
that you've given me today.
[ Applause ]
I also want to thank
the students who worked
on this exhibit and
pulled it together.
I wanted to thank the dancers
and the singers who honored us
with their beautiful voices
and dances this morning.
And I also want to thank you,
the participants that came
out here and showed your
support for this exhibit.
And last but certainly
not least,
I want to honor two people in
particular, Phil and Deborah.
And if you take a
moment to please step
up here, I like to honor you.
[applause] And Kelsey
and Allison,
could you please step up here.
So, there's a gift that we
want to present to both Phil
and Deborah on behalf of
the Alcatraz Night Tour,
all my coworkers, myself,
and these two wonderful
ladies over here.
So, thank you very much.
[ Noise ]
>> Oh, wow.
Look at that.
>> Oh.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
>> So, these shirts,
ladies and gentlemen.
They have, "We are still
here" on the front, of course,
the title to the exhibit
with the picture and then
on the back, it says, "They
were young, they were brave,
they were warriors
both men and women."
Thank you.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
>> Thank you.
>> You know, when Phil
was talking about our--
actually with Craig was talking
about the Pow Wow, you know,
I kept thinking, how many
of you were at that Pow Wow.
I just want to see who was here.
Well, you all missed out.
[laughter] It was
actually pretty amazing.
I remember Jackson Brown
was here and John Trudell.
There was a lot of people, a lot
of people and it made me think
about the people
who kept this alive
when Bill Wahpepah started
way back in the '60s, right?
Oh, no.
>> '70s.
>> '70s, after Alcatraz.
He took a group of just
the aim school that he had
and the community and they
started coming out here
to do the Sunrise Ceremony
and that was that long ago
when it's still going every
Indigenous People's Day
and Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving Day,
they would come out--
well, started out
on Thanksgiving
and then eventually,
when Indigenous People's
Day was changed,
they started coming out.
So, I was thinking about some of
those people that are no longer
with us like Bill Wahpepah,
who should be mentioned.
Neil [inaudible], Millie
Ketcheshawno, Mickey Gimmell,
John Whitefox, Richard
Oakes, Annie Oakes, Joe Bill.
A lot of them had passed on and
my uncle, Ross Harden was one
of the originals when they would
tell the story that talk about--
he was one of the first ones
with Joe Bill who jumped
in the water to try
to swim to the island.
You know, and there're
many other names
that we didn't mention.
Lehman Brightman
who's still with us
and Fred Short who's
also still with us.
>> Oh.
>> Fred-- who's Fred
Shelton [phonetic].
[Inaudible Remark] Oh, okay.
Fred Shelton passed away.
So, I just wanted to acknowledge
that at this gathering here,
that there's so many whose
shoulders that we stand on,
so many that kept
us alive for so long
and kept those stories going
to make sure that we have them
to share, that we have them
to pass on to our generation.
Now, there's a lot of faces
that I see now have
come along lately.
And so, I just wanted
to acknowledge those
who really put their hearts
out there and did a lot of work
to make sure that
this kept going.
And at this time, in
poetry and in spoken word,
I want to invite
Penny Opal Plant and--
[inaudible] Is Jewel Gomez
or Lorraine Cathy here?
Okay. Penny Opal Plant is
born and raised in Richmond.
She's been here forever.
[laughter] It's true.
And a strong part of the I
Don't Know More Movement--
>> Yeah.
>> -which I wanted
to mention because--
>> Yeah. [applause]
>> Because we've kept it going
and it's a very important part
of all of our history.
You know, the voices, the
chant for [inaudible].
We are still here.
And so, I wanted to
hand this over to Penny.
She'll tell you more and
also read her beautiful poem.
>> Thank you, Lakota.
So as Lakota said, I
grew up over in Richmond
and my parents were
there since--
my grandparents actually moved
to Richmond on both sides
in the '30s and so we've
been there for quite a while,
not as long as the
lonely people though.
So, we're still newcomers
to this area.
And on my mom side, I'm
the Yaqui and Mexican.
And on my dad side, I'm Chactoo,
Cherokee, English, Dutch,
and probably some other
stuff thrown in there
for peppering the mix.
When I-- I was 11 when
the occupation happened
and I remember watching it on
television and it was talked
about every night in our house
and we would read the
newspaper articles.
My dad would read them to us.
So, when I was asked
to write this poem,
it just kind of poured
out of me.
I didn't even know that
these memories were part
of my beingness.
And so, this is what came out.
I probably need my glasses.
I've imagined the tiny island of
Alcatraz being a meeting place
over the millennia of
tribal peoples arriving
in Tule reed boats
from around the bay.
In my mind, I see them from the
East Bay Hills moving slowly
through the waters from all
available directions toward the
rocky outcroppings.
They gather to celebrate
and trade, to offer prayers
of gratitude for the
blessings of life and paradise.
When I was a child, a
wonderful movement occurred.
Tribal peoples arriving
in all kinds of boats
from all over Turtle Island.
They gathered together to
occupy what was once theirs
and which was promised to
them when no longer in use
by the occupiers of these lands.
We watched it all on TV, the
young and the old arriving
from everywhere to
gather together
on the tiny island of Alcatraz.
It became a symbol of
native resistance of an--
of challenging the
broken treaties
of making sure we were seen
and heard and not forgotten.
During that time, good
things happened here.
Sad things happened here.
Sacred things happened here.
People were changed here.
Power arose from here.
Alcatraz will always be a
reminder to all who visit,
gathering place for truth
that heroes were born here,
that ceremonies still
occur here and always will.
Thank you.
>> Oh.
[ Applause ]
[ Noise ]
>> Thank you, Penny.
Next, I like to introduce,
let's see, a veteran of Alcatraz
that had so much history and
remembers everything so vividly.
I've spent so many days and
hours listening to his story
and have felt so honored
that he shares his story,
not only of Alcatraz but
other events that happened
in the Bay Area that
he shares them with me.
And I just like to introduce
Eloy Martinez, who I'm very,
very grateful for because
he has the stories,
he shared them with-- shares
them with me and then that way,
I-- therefore, I can share them
with you and future generations.
Eloy. [Audience Cheering
& Applause]
>> Thank you.
Thank you all my
relatives, all my relations.
I like to first of say thanks
to all of the people make--
[inaudible] many horses,
John B. Hill, John Mortell,
Richard Oakes, Fred
Shelton, Vernell Blindman--
I'm starting to remember all
the names-- and Joe Bill.
These are all the original
people that came off
of to [inaudible] that
made it to the island.
Did it-- prior to the takeover
the island, everything--
expectations were
great, you know,
all our expectations were great.
Our fears are probably
just as great
and our adrenaline
was really high.
So, I'd like to refer
to the date
that Richard Oakes jumped
off to Monte Cristo.
I referred to that
incident as the time
that the Indians lit the
spark in the water 'cause he--
when he jumped overboard,
I think it--
it was that-- it was needed.
You know, and then Ross
Harden jumped over.
Jim Vaughn jumped
over and Joe Bill.
Joe Bill was the only one
actually to touch the--
you know, he made it
to the island 'cause
the other guys kind
of like swept out of the tide.
So, it is-- it is.
>> Louder.
>> But Joe Bill claimed the
island for the Native Americans.
And ever since then, it's
been an ongoing struggle.
We never thought
we would stay here.
We've kind of figure the federal
government would come and pull
as out of the island really
quick because, you know,
in the 1960s, a lot of
that stuff that was going
on was the black panthers
and people were getting
attacked and killed.
So, we-- you know, we
kind of figured maybe
that federal government would
just kind of do that to us too.
We were unsure.
But thanks to public
support and, you know,
the whole world watching.
I think they backed
up a little bit
and they gave us a little
bit of breathing room.
But on the whole, I think
that I'm glad that I was able
to participate and I'm glad to
also have-- you know, I've got--
I got to be in an old jail
with some really good friends.
I went to jail with
Mickey and I went to jail
with Richard two times.
So, it was a great
learning experience.
And I think to see
all you people here
and especially all the
young people, it is so great
because we are still here
and because you guys will
always still be here,
you know, teach them.
And right now, I've been--
lately, I was having a
conversation with some--
another close friend this
morning and she was telling me
that a lot of the Indians
are losing their languages,
you know.
So, I would think that
if we start trying
to preserve those languages
and trying to go back to it,
I think she told me something
like it would take a hundred
years or 20 years for some
of those language to be revived.
So, you guys really
got a lot of work
with you 'cause there's
a lot of people--
there's a lot of Native American
languages that have been lost.
And I think that the oral
tradition has always been our
strongest suit because most--
you know, I don't know
about a lot of people.
Most of-- my people from--
I'm from [inaudible],
it's all oral tradition.
There's hardly everything--
nothing was written down.
Whatever was written
down managed
to get destroyed or burned up.
So, without our oral traditions,
we are kind of stuck, you know,
and I'd like to say to the drum.
Thank you to the drum.
Thank you to all of the
people that are here
with [inaudible] allow us to
come out here and do this stuff
because in excess, that idea
that we had when we stop--
first came out here
in the sense,
we have got that 'cause we have
a place that we can come out
and voice our thoughts.
You know, maybe it's
only twice a year.
But I get over-- I get over
here, I get to come over once
in a while and I like
to just talk to people
and educate people 'cause a lot
of people don't really
understand that there's no--
a lot of Indians still left
in this country, you know,
and I had a map the other
day that was a 1492 map
that showed the whole
United States was all red.
You know, and in a short
progression from the years down
and today, I think
the map ended in 2007.
Those red dots are probably
limited to maybe about 13
to 14 places, and the biggest
reservation is in Arizona.
Every place else has
been-- all the stuff--
everything that we fought
for during the 1960s and on,
got taken away during 9/11.
You know, your freedom
of speech.
If we try to do what did, then
today, they would arrest us
for terrorism, you know,
or some kind of something,
but we would not--
it wouldn't work.
But I think that no matter
what, all of you young students,
you young adults, don't
let nobody tell you
that you can't do it.
You can do it.
>> Oh.
>> And you got to do it.
>> Oh, oh, oh.
>> You have to do it.
You know, a lot of us
fell down, you know,
[inaudible] we fell down,
I myself, I think I kind
of missed the boat and let
a lot of things to get by me
and I usually try to stay on
top of stuff, but I know it
that I'm guilty and I
think that a lot of us,
we got a little bit
complacent and that things go
when we shouldn't have.
And now, we're paying the price.
But stay strong and don't let
nobody tell you you can do it.
>> Oh.
[ Applause ]
>> That's what you
call old Indian wisdom.
[laughter] I sure love
listening to my older speak,
although he's probably only
a few years older than me.
No, I'm kidding.
Next, we have somebody
that I'm honored--
so honored to meet and when
I was a child, my family went
up to Alaska and they adopted
us by the [inaudible] people.
So, I always mentioned that
I'm adopted [inaudible].
And part of what
happens up there is the--
what I learned was when the
tribes would meet each other.
They had their paddles and
you've seen the totem poles
and all the carvings, right?
And those symbols would
represent parts of life
and parts of the family.
So, people could
acknowledge who they were
and they would build a fire when
the canoe was coming in to town.
And they'd build the fire so
they know where to come to,
on which part of the shore.
And then, they would sing a
call and response back and forth
to assure each other and
give their word through song,
through the symbols of their
ancestors, through their crest,
that they were going to be
respectful, that they were going
to be cared for, that they
were coming in respect.
Can you imagine if those
ships that came had that kind
of thinking, had
that kind of respect.
It would be a whole different
world that we live in.
So, I'm really honored because
this next speaker is an icon
in our community.
She probably don't
want me to say
that because she's a humble
woman but as a young person,
as a student at UC Berkeley,
she was leading the way
especially seeing a strong
Athabaskan Eskimo woman.
So, I'm really honored to
introduce, Dr. Betty Parent.
[Audience Cheering & Applause]
>> Thank you.
I like to acknowledge that I am
an Athabaskan Indian and Eskimo
and I am not at war with myself.
[laughter] I'd like to dedicate
my comments to Ellen Barney
and Wilma who are
on the other side,
but I know are with us today.
And it's been said that
a lot started here.
So, a lot must continue here.
And I'd like to give some
ideas to the students.
I feel like a student
today, although,
I'm way beyond that
in terms of age.
What-- let's think a little bit
about where we are right now.
I don't know what
the life expectancy
of American [inaudible]
in general but it's
up there, almost 80, I think.
But between 90-- 2000 and
2010, the life expectancy
of Indians went from 45 to 43.
And in Arizona and Alaska,
it went from 37 to 35.
And on reservations--
on many reservations,
the life expectancy
of men is 33.
Now, that is half of
the life expectancy
of the average in the country.
So that-- what that says is
that the life force,
we have half of it.
That's we have to work on.
Now, let me give you
a couple of examples
of what you students can do.
Alaska Native serves 600 percent
more jail time than non-natives.
Six hundred percent.
Hello? That's not fair.
That's not right.
So, just in terms
of demographics,
we are not sharing
the same life force.
When I was in college in Alaska,
in the University of Alaska
where the graduation
rate of native people
on the public institution
was two percent.
When we were 25 percent
of the population,
it's still 2 percent.
It's amazing.
I was in a seminar and I had a
classmate named Willie Hensley
and we all wrote term
papers, remember them?
We all wrote term papers of
something of our choosing.
I chose to write about
adopted [inaudible].
Willie wrote about the
Alaska native land claims.
His term paper-- he became
very grumpy that semester
as I recall, but his term paper
became our land claims in 1979.
That's what you students can do.
That's what Elijah can do.
So, this is some of the things
that I have worked on myself.
I have been fascinated after
teaching almost 30 years
of US history from an Indian
point of view and I've got--
Abraham Lincoln just haunts me.
Abraham, baby.
And the only person that's
written more about in English
than Abraham Lincoln is Jesus.
So that gives you an idea
of speaking of icons.
But there's a part
of his presidency
that isn't very much studied
and that is in my bailiwick,
it's called the land-grant
college movement.
What was done when
he was elected,
he passed immediately based
upon his agenda to be elected.
He passed the Railroad
Act, the Homestead Act,
and the Land-Grant College Act.
Everybody hears about
the Railroad Act.
There're all kinds of culture
and song about the Homestead Act
but very little about the
Land-Grant College Act
where Indian land
was federalized,
made into public
institutions of higher education
which did not allow the
native people to be in it,
invented anthropologist.
Indian people understand
anthropologist
because we invented them and
so, the people had to work--
you know, this is there land and
they couldn't even get educated
and it's still like that.
So, there're plenty of you to--
for you to do in
terms of research.
Now, I want to tell you
about what recently events
in the last couple of months
have gotten me fascinated.
I decided to go worldwide.
The US Constitution was based
on the Great Law of Peace.
They forgot part of it.
[laughter] The women run it.
>> Oh.
>> Yes.
>> Oh. [applause]
>> Yes. Well, the
United Nations was based
on the Great Law of Peace.
So, I've decided to go
worldwide especially in terms
of the recent worldwide events.
I've been thinking a lot
about the Catholic Church
which my four-year-old son
called the capitalist church.
[laughter] And I've
been thinking
that what had these
people been doing in Rome.
People pick on Indians for
being small communities,
small nations, what
do you matter.
The Vatican is the
sovereign nation
within the city of
Rome in Italy.
What have they been
doing for the past 500,
600, 700, 800, 900 years?
They have been running
a casino of the souls.
[laughter] Unregulated.
>> Oh.
>> Time to bring it back
in, girls, don't you agree?
[laughter] I'm very pleased
that my academic home was San
Francisco State University
which started the
free speech movement.
It was not started at Berkeley.
The San Francisco State
College Students had to go
over to Berkeley and teach
those people how to protest.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
They picked at us pretty good.
They did pretty good.
I have been told by higher ups
in education that the high guys
in like Berkeley and
Stanford and Davis and stuff,
looked to San Francisco
State students
to see what their students will
be protesting in two years.
[laughter] So, it
starts with you.
You are in a very
unique position to look
at the world and start over.
And just as Richard and
Joe jumped into the water
and made electricity,
that's what you're going
to do academically [inaudible].
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
[ Noise ]
>> Thank you very much.
That was amazing story--
another amazing stories
that we're able to hear today.
And I would just also like to
acknowledge San Francisco State.
There're so many great
activists that came
out of that university.
As I mentioned, as a child,
people that were activists,
our family were also involved
with many, many demonstrations
that started at San
Francisco State.
And some of them were very
amazing and during that time
as a child, we just did
not realize all the things
that our family were
really involved with.
It wasn't just with the
Native American community.
It was with the Latino
community.
It was with the African-American
community.
I have vivid memories
of us going
to black panthers meetings
growing up and it was like--
it was just everyday life
attending different meetings
for Cesar Chavez and the
Farmworkers Movement.
People have, you know, these
grand, oh, ideas of when you go
to the park when you're a
youngster that, you know,
was like, "Oh, you get to
go to the Golden Gate Park."
We didn't get to go to Golden
Gate Park just to play.
Our family was going
there for a mission.
I remember we'd walk down
the Panhandle with our--
you know, with our
family, with friends,
and people that we called,
aunt-- aunts and uncles.
And as we would down the
Panhandle, we would get sprayed
as children with water
hoses as our family protest.
And you know, growing
up, those are very kind
of scary images I
remember as a child.
And I really didn't
appreciate that.
Once again, I would
think my family is crazy.
[laughter] You know, what--
why are they doing
this to us, you know?
But as an adult, I
appreciated so much.
I mean, my-- our
childhood was crazy.
I'm sure my sister
agrees with it.
You know, we went through
some crazy protests,
watched our parents get--
you know, our mother
get arrested, our aunt.
My uncle was a freaking
standanista, you know.
He came from Nicaragua.
Our family started
mission cultural center.
We have such great, you
know, great family history.
And, you know, finally as
an adult, I'm really wanting
to share that because I
figured, my Uncle Roberto,
I don't if you guys know
who Roberto Vargas
is, that's my uncle.
He told us-- told me, you
know, several years ago.
He said, "You know, I want to
apol-- I want to apologize for,
you know, you not
have-- you got--
you kids not really having
fa-- you know, a family life
or regular family, you
know, life that, you know,
we put you through all
these demonstrations,
all these protests.
You've seen us get arrested.
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."
And I then realize that it was
really important for myself
to continue to share these
stories because our families
and many families, the children
of activists, they
give up a lot.
Their families give up a
lot to continue that fight
and it's really up to us--
it's up to me for my family to
continue to share you this--
share this story because I
don't want it lost for nothing.
Our families gave up
many, many things.
You know, family trips
if we would have them.
Who knows?
Our family trip was
sitting outside
of a Safeway telling people
not to buy grapes, lettuce.
I didn't have a grape
until I left my house--
I left home when I
was 15 years old.
[laughter] Okay?
What-- you know.
So, it's all those crazy, you
know, memories and I just want
to share those because when
Professor Parent brought up,
it started at San Francisco
State, all of a sudden,
I had all these flashbacks
in San Francisco State.
So, thank you for
the flashback moment.
So now, I would like
to introduce.
He's here on our drum here
from San Francisco
State, Dr. Jake Perea.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> I'd like to-- I would like to
offer my thanks to all of those
who really worked to bring this
together, but also to those--
the veterans who are
here still with us
who are the cause
of this being here.
I would be [inaudible] do this.
And I would like to-- Eloy
and Dave mentioned something
which is really near
and dear to my heart.
I'm in education [inaudible].
I have-- I've had a joined
appointment in Ethnic Studies
and in education and
education is why I came here,
bilingual education.
So, I really feel strongly about
maintaining one's language.
It's really important.
But I also feel really
strongly that one of the reasons
that we populate jails is
because you don't
populate schools.
And so, it is really important
in my estimation that school has
to be important to our children.
We have some of the lowest
graduation rates anywhere
and I don't care where you
are in the United States.
I don't care which area you go
to, you go to my own reservation
in Mescalero and it's
no different there.
Kids get to middle school.
By the time they
got to the seventh--
the eighth and the seventh
grade, they've already dropped
out and they've gone
back to the revs.
They're going to be working
some place on the revs,
but they're not going
to get an education.
Education is really important.
And so, part of-- this thing
here today, part of this--
the ongoing, the permanent,
the permanency of what is going
on here today is
really education.
When Richard jumped into the
water, that was education.
That was education
because that is what
in my mind education
is all about.
It's all about that next step.
It's bringing your
history with you,
but it's taking it
to the next step.
And if we don't do that, then
we will become invisible.
And whenever Ann Marie
says, "We are still here,"
there's not going to be very
many of us saying, "We agree."
And the reason I believe that
we have to be able to continue
to say, "We are still
here," is--
or one of the ways that we can
do that is through education.
We have to do that.
And so, those of you-- the
youngsters who are here,
who are out dancing today,
it's really important
because your dancing
is education.
Every time you go out to dance,
you're educating the world.
Those who are looking at
you, you're educating them.
When people come in here
in the future for as long
as the future is going to be
and they see all of the history
of this-- our land and how it
was that we took our land back,
that is history and
that comes as education.
And so, I would ask you as
young people, I would ask you
as parents, I would ask
you as grandparents,
but I'm not a grandparent
[laughter]
which is kind of cute.
[laughter] Don't tell
me she looks like me
because she's got my ears.
[laughter] And so, I
can go with that, yeah.
[Inaudible Remark] Yeah.
No, she's got to be cute
'cause she's [inaudible]--
[laughter] But it--
education, don't [inaudible].
Don't say, "Well,
it's not for me."
It is for you.
It's for you.
It's for our future as a
[inaudible], we have to do that.
And so, I really want thank
the veterans for what they did
and what they're doing.
I really want to
thank the students.
One of the students who
was involved is a teacher,
a history teacher and he
teaches his kids these.
That's really important because
those kids will know something
that most other kids will
not know anything about it.
And that's part of what it
is that we should be doing,
is to make sure that no one
forgets that we were here
and that we are here and
that we will be here.
Thank you.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
>> Hi everyone.
My name is Amy Sueyoshi.
I'm the associate dean of
the College of Ethnic Studies
at San Francisco
State University.
I'd just like to say on behalf
of the dean's office that we are
so honored to be a
part of this event.
Congratulations on
this amazing exhibit.
We look forward to more exhibits
and more resources
to native people.
Thank you.
>> Oh. [applause]
>> I just want to
have Dr. Nicola.
Nicola Wagenberg.
Wagenberg.
[applause]
>> Good morning.
My name is Nicola Wagenberg.
I work closely with
Melissa Nelson
at the Cultural Conservancy,
and as representative
of the Cultural Conservancy with
my colleague, Valerie Ordonez.
We want to thank Philip
Klasky, the San Francisco State,
and everybody that
was involved--
that has been involved in
making this historic permanent
exhibit happen.
It is a historic victory.
And we are honored
to be a partner
and honor the native warriors
who occupied Alcatraz
44 years ago.
We're also honored to
be here on the island
and acknowledge they are
lonely peoples are the original
caretakers of these
lands and waters.
The Cultural Conservancy
is a 27-year-old native-led
indigenous rights,
nonprofit based
in the Presidio here
in San Francisco.
We are committed to protecting
and revitalizing
indigenous cultures
and their ancestral lands
through research, education,
advocacy, and alliance building.
We aim to protect
native lands, document
and revitalize endangered
songs, languages, stories
and tradition knowledge,
and advocate for health
and well-being of
the native community.
We work locally, nationally, and
internationally and I'm excited
to tell you about two new
projects that we have going
on that we really
want to welcome all
of you to be part of them.
One of them is an Ancestral
Foodways Ethnobotany Garden here
in Marin at the College of
Marin, Indian Valley Garden.
We're starting teaching garden
for the community to provide all
of you, the local
community, an opportunity
to grow native foods,
medicinal plants, and herbs,
and learn culturally
appropriate ways in practices
and traditions rel-- as
related to all native foodways.
We also have a really
exciting summer program
for native young adults this
summer that Valerie is going
to tell you more about.
It is part of our Canoe
project that we've been doing
for the past three
years and efforts
to revitalize native
watercraft traditions.
Thank you.
Thanks for having us.
[applause]
>> Hello everyone.
I just wanted to say,
it's an honor to be here.
I think it's really great--
I think it's really great that
we're all here collectively
and really, you know,
creating spaces where we want
to [inaudible] to
tell our story.
So, I just wanted
to honor that space.
So, I'm Valerie.
I'm the youth coordinator
for the Cultural Conservancy.
Me and Nicola have been working
on a summer internship program
that's a really exciting
opportunity for native
people to know.
Ages 15 to 22, we're going
to take 10 participants.
We're still taking
application-- applicant.
And the program include native
arts, media, cultural health,
and we're going to
be working closely
with indigenous knowledge
holders, watercraft traditions,
and really mending the
circle of, you know,
learning outside the academy
and learning community--
community learning.
The youth will explore
[inaudible] learning
and filmmaking and we're going
to be working with paddles
and canoes and arts--
everything-- everything
included.
So, we really want a diverse
group of applicants to apply.
So, if you're interested,
come and ask us questions.
We're here.
We have flyers for everyone.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
[applause] Thank you very much.
I now like to introduce
Dr. Belinda Reyes.
She'll come up and
say a few things.
Thank you.
[applause]
>> Hello. My name
is Belinda Reyes.
I'm the director of the
Cesar Chavez Institute
at San Francisco State.
I am honored to be here
and we feel very fortunate
that we were-- at the beginning
and it helped a little granito
de [inaudible], you know,
to help make this happen.
And I'm so happy that finally,
the stories here
in the Alcatraz.
But I'm also [inaudible]
in a way
because we're still
doing the struggle.
I mean, if you hear the
immigration debate--
so-called the immigration
debate,
the colonizer is still
defining who the American is.
I mean, we're still
being questioned
as a legitimate member of this
society and part of this land.
Those battles are
still taking place.
But I'm happy that
we are, you know,
celebrating this victory today.
So, thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
>> We just have two
more speakers left.
I'd like to introduce
Alex Cherian, your next.
Alex? [applause]
>> Hello, it's good to be here
on this fine day
with you people.
I room the Television Archive at
San Francisco State's Library.
We've found and amassed
it over the past few years
over three hours of raw
local news film footage
which features the occupation.
We managed to get some federal
money and we've made all of this
which is available to be online
for free as a public resource.
Now, I am the film archivist
at San Francisco State,
but I was born one year after
the occupation ended in England.
So, what would I know about
that day on November 9th,
1969 when Richard Oakes,
Joe Bill and others jumped
from the deck of the Monte
Cristo and swam on to the rock
to claim it for native peoples?
Well, in fact, over the past few
months, I've seen many events
from that day with sound and
color in some old news film
that I found last year at
KRON-TV on Van Ness Avenue.
Now, because this film
was found, students
and yourselves will be able
actually view these things
online and feel a
connection to the events.
It will hit you in the gut
and it will make history more
of a personal experience for
you, that's what we hold.
Now, as students
with this exhibition,
they interviewed occupation
veterans and leaders
in the community and
they combined these
with archival footage.
It's a kind of a dialogue
between the past
and the present.
That intensely personal
response to the events
of that day presents us with
a kind of a living history
and we're very proud
of what they did.
In February, we were visited
at the TV archive and honored
by Christina Longoria
and by Eloy Martinez
and as this free resource grows,
I want to invite you to make use
of it if you can and also
honor this living history
and take it forward
for future generations.
Thank you for your time.
[ Applause ]
>> So we're about ready to get--
ready to go outside
but before we do,
we want to have some words
again from Ann Marie Sayer.
So, she's coming up to give you
some words and then we're going
to have the dancers
come and speak to you
and then we'll be
going from there.
So Ann Marie Sayer,
you heard her
out on the plaza before we came
in and did our opening prayer.
>> Oh.
>> Okay, thank you.
>> Oh.
>> I am so happy,
this is happening.
And since, there are still some
people in the audience here.
I would like to invite you
to our 17th Annual California
Indian Storytelling event
and we need drummers, will you
be available, the 13th of July.
You will be?
Yeah. [Inaudible Remark]
That's acceptable.
Okay. And also, Jeanine Antoine
who is with KPFA has asked me
to invite you to an amazing
Native Arts Festival, June 16th.
My daughter, this is at
the Yerba Buena Center.
My daughter will be emceeing it
and singing the grandmother song
that I truly loved so very much.
And there's also the Mohawk
singers, medicine warriors,
all nations, indigenous
blues band.
How did I do Jeanine?
[laughter] Okay.
Again, the fact that
we are acknowledging
and honoring the original people
on whose land you're
new year on right here.
I cannot tell you
how important it is.
And for my-- from my ancestors--
my ancestors, I thank
you very much.
[Inaudible].
>> Oh. [applause]
>> And since she
was mentioning--
[Audience Cheering & Applause]
Since she was mentioning,
Jeanine Antoine, I
also wanted to say--
do you remember
that American-Indian
Contemporary Arts Gallery
that was on San Francisco
for many years?
>> Yes.
>> That was the baby of
Jeanine Antoine and they--
she still keeps, even though
there's not a visible gallery,
she still keeps within art
in the front and I co--
cosponsors with the
International Indian Treaty
Council, the gathering,
every year that we have,
the two gatherings that we
have on Indigenous People's Day
and on Thanksgiving Day.
So, I just want to thank Aika
and Jeanine Antoine for that.
Thank you.
Thank you.
>> Oh. [laughter]
>> And now, we have from
Xiuhcoatl, we have Lina Trujillo
and Rafael Moreno, and
they brought their families
that have been patiently
waiting.
So, let's give them
our attention.
[Audience Cheering & Applause]
>> Hello, we're also here
representing the Richard Oakes
Multicultural Center and SKINS.
Oh, I'm Lina Trujillo,
obviously.
>> Yeah. And so, I'm Raf Moreno.
So SKINS is Student Kouncil
of Intertribal Nations.
We're at SF state.
We're cofounder-- one
of our cofounders was actually
Richard Oakes back in 1969.
And so as the org,
we continue to try
to keep that legacy there.
He-- he instill within the
university of student activism
and being engaged
with our communities
and I believe we being since'69.
So, we've been here for-- SKINS
have been around for a while.
So, wee continue to try
to instill the work
and his visions.
>> And the Richard Oakes
Multicultural Center started
and maybe about five
years ago and we started
of as just a conference
room, but we're growing
and we've grown until a library.
And now, we've grown
into a library
like reading room we're
still can utilize the space
and come share or come
read, or come do homework.
Yeah and that's-- you
guys should come it check
out whenever you're at
San Francisco State.
And also, as representatives
of Xiuhcoatl,
we just wanna say we're
honored to be here
and to dance for you guys.
[ Audience Cheering & Applause ]
>> The dance group,
Xiuhcoatl is led
by Miguel [inaudible]
Martinez from San Francisco
and we'll be dancing downstair--
down there near the dock
in about 5, 10 minutes.
I knew, so I'd like to see all
of you there and thank you.
>> Thank you.
[ Silence ]