video on aim

David M Baltierra

4/15/16

The occupation of Alcatraz Island:

Indian Self-Determination and the Rise of Indian Activism.

 

 This video summarizes key findings and shows that no single event or occupation in history has transpired.  While this video sets the stage for the social, political, and economic context.

In the beginning red cloud and sitting bull made a treaty with the U.S government, then they were promised that the land will always belong to them and stay with them.  However the army sent general cluster and his thugs to kill men, women, and children. This was a slather. In 1880 there was a ghost over the years, the indi8ans are brought to schools, it was an decimation. To kill the Indian but to safe the man. Dance, but kicking bear says that the women should make dresses that the white man bullets will not kill them. The social aspect is one of the reasons why they began to start the A.I.M movement of today.  It describes the poverty level of which why they started to make history. I feel that they were very poor and did not have the basic things in life as the whites did, like a good job, housing, safe drinking water, and education.  With this I feel it was the beginning. Also they were continually being relocated to vary states in the 1950s and 1960s which promoted the migration of American Indian's from rural reservation to urban city like San Francisco, Los Angles, and parts of the country. In the political realm, the young Indian activists planned on to focusing their attention of the American public and the federal government. At about this time there were not much as media as now. So I feel just what was available at that time set the stage very well for them. Their focus was getting the attention of the American public and federal government on the plight of the urban and reservation Indians. Also and perhaps the most unique interesting section was how Troy, Johnson said, "voices from Alcatraz" (273, pg).  This brings me back to the article Social movements and Collective Memory from (Kubal, Timothy, et al, 2008, pg 1) Social movements are central to the construction of collective memories, yet the memory and movements literatures are just beginning to realize common interests. In the economic context, it was somewhat tedious and in-depth on the day to day logistic of the occupation. It was amazing how they arranged security, health care, electricity, water, and the issue of supplying the basic things like food from the mainland.  Lastly due to the internal dissensions and leadership struggles among the occupiers, and leadership struggles among the occupiers and the federal government's persistent efforts to remove occupiers while avoiding any violent confrontation.

 I will reflect and critically react to a few of the issues; I feel that one of the good thing that came out of this is and know one got killed or hurt. Second thing is the movement I felt went very well and I wish I were there. It baffles me how the government could not take them from there. It is a shame that the white man has done to the Mexican's, African's, Indian's, Asian's, and now the people from the east. They continue to make us do want we don't want to do and we are getting tired of this. Furthermore just like Mary crow dog say's that we are tired and dying of all of their bullshit.