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While the rest of the city slept, Alcatraz glowed as thousands circled around a bonfire lit on the island in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The annual sunrise gathering began before dawn on Monday to commemorate the original occupation of Alcatraz island by “Indians of All Tribes” between 1969 and 1971. Organizers from the International Indian Treaty Council say that action “sparked the National and International Indigenous Peoples movement for rights and justice.”
This year, the event drew around 2,500 people, council liaison Morning Star Gali estimated. The crowds did not shy away from an early morning boat ride.
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The council’s executive director, Andrea Carmen, arrived around 2:30 a.m. to set up for the dozens of indigenous performers who would sing and dance from 5 to 9 a.m. as the night sky faded into a cloudy gray behind them.
The Golden Gate Bridge remained obscured by fog. A sign on the former prison, meanwhile, shone, lit by floodlights amid the darkness. It had been painted over to read “United Indian Property” during the initial occupation.
For four hours, the volunteer musicians and dancers swirled around the blaze at the center of a growing ring of spectators. Indigenous leaders highlighted their fight against climate change and led collective prayers. Guests of honor included tribal elders and veterans of the original occupation.
Many attendees wore keffiyeh scarves. Palestinian flags were brought out for a portion of the gathering, when dancers led audience members around the crackling fire to chants of “Free Palestine.”
Employees of the ferry-boat operator, City Experiences, also stood in solidarity with indigenous leaders. The workers, who are on strike, were permitted to provide service to the island on Monday, when almost 200 free tickets were provided to community members by the organization Indigenous Justice. One employee added that they hoped to provide free ferry tickets to all indigenous people in the future.
Ferries carrying members of the public began departing just after 4 a.m. Despite the early hour, the boats buzzed with chatter. From one deck, someone played music from a speaker. Though some attendees traveled from as far away as British Columbia, many came from San Francisco, saying they were there to support the indigenous “land back” efforts. “We should re-occupy it,” one said as their ferry approached the island.
Many had personal ties to native tribes, like Brandon Smith, who runs a fencing school in North Beach and is connected to the Yoeme tribe in Arizona. It was his first time visiting Alcatraz.
It had been a particularly emotional week leading up to this year’s gathering, Gali said; the council had just lost two elders. But, on this morning, the positive warmth Gali said she felt was palpable as other community members approached to embrace her from the audience. She predicted an even larger crowd of 5,000 for the next sunrise gathering on Nov. 28.
“Alcatraz represents both a site of pain where Indigenous Peoples were imprisoned for their resistance to colonization, and a place where we stood up together for our rights and survival.” a spokesperson from the council wrote in a statement. “This annual gathering honors those resistors and reminds us that our fight for justice is far from over.”
Before European settlers arrived in California, local tribes had varying relationships with the island. But once the U.S. expanded into California, Alcatraz island became a military base where indigenous people were incarcerated, according to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.
As attendees waited to board boats leaving the island for San Francisco, Gali announced that the microphone was now open to anyone who wanted to “share a song” or “talk about their peoples’ struggles.”
Meanwhile, tourists visiting Alcatraz began to arrive. When a park ranger mentioned the island’s occupation more than 50 years ago, the crowd roared.
ABIGAIL VAN NEELY
Originally from New York City, Abigail is a recent graduate of Stanford’s Journalism Master’s program. She’s interested in climate, community, and accountability stories, and enjoys foggy mornings with her tuxedo cat, Sally Carerra (yes, the shelter did in fact name the cat after the Porsche from the animated movie Cars).More by Abigail Van Neely
