Native American occupation of Alcatraz ends, Part I

KPIX-TV news footage from June 11, 1971, with reporter Belva Davis, featuring scenes from Alcatraz where Native American activists have just been removed from the island by armed Federal authorities. Includes extensive views of Alcatraz, a press conference held by Federal representatives (including the U.S. Attorney for Northern District of California James L. Browning, Jr. and Regional Director of the US government's General Services Administration Thomas E. Hannon) and interviews with the American Indians including Delbert Lee of the Sioux nation and Oohosis of the Cree nation, who describe first hand accounts of their arrest. When asked by a reporter to verify if the government's claim they were forced to intervene because of the theft of copper wire and to repair the lighthouse is true, John Trudell (Santee Sioux) replies: "We were negotiating with the government on the quiet and the meetings started April 13th of this year. And they guaranteed us during these meetings that there would be no arrests and no one would be taken off the island ... until negotiations were completed. And they broke their word on it." Also includes views from the island shot on several different dates before the removal, with brief scenes of Yvonne Oakes (Richard Oakes's step daughter) climbing on a concrete wall. She died after a fall on the island, in January 1970. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.

This 16mm reversal print was re-scanned in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in October 2024.