History
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In 1969, six years after the penitentiary closed, a group of American Indians claimed Alcatraz for "Indians of All Tribes." For almost 19 months they occupied the island to call attention to the plight of Native Americans and to make a stand for native peoples' fundamental right to their cultural identities. They hoped to establish on Alcatraz a center for American Indian studies, a job training school, a spiritual center, an ecology center, and a museum. Although they did not achieve their goals for the island, the occupation became a historical turning point for American Indians across the country. Public sympathy generated by the occupation played a key role in ending the U.S. government's policy of terminating tribal governments and relocating Indians from their reservation lands and communities. This led to an official government policy recognizing tribal self-rule, which protects Indian lands, languages, culture, and identity.
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