Tremors from Alcatraz
This page covers the history and effect of the Red Power Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s as well as the effect it had on the Alabama-Coushatta. When a group of Indian activists seized Alcatraz Island, the Red Power movement was sent cascading across the country resulting in a duality of cultural revival as well as cultural diminishment. The Alabama-Coushatta in Texas were no exception to this effect, and would be forced into a crossroads decision.
On November 20th, 1969 a large group of Native American political activist seized the abandoned island of Alcatraz in order to draw national attention. Identifying themselves as “Indians of all Tribes,” the group claimed legal ownership of the island through a 1869 treaty with the US federal government, which stated that Indians would be granted unused federal land on Indian property.[1] The island had been largely abandoned since the government closed the penitentiary in 1960. Once they had captured the island, along with the media’s attention, the group issued a proclamation to the “Great White Father” outlining their goals and demands. One of their goals was to turn the island into a center for Native American culture and studies, which would “train our young people in the best of our native cultural arts and sciences, as well as educate them to the skills and knowledge relevant to improve the lives and spirits of all Indian peoples.”[2] It soon became clear that the protesters wanted to represent the desires of all Native Americans.
While this was a political movement aimed at securing more civil rights for Native Americans, the Red Power Movement of the 1960s and 70s caused a wide spread native cultural revival across the United States. Until the Alcatraz Island incident, Native American news had not been prominent on the national stage since the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890. As a result the American populous took a keen interest as many followed the activists’ demonstrations on Alcatraz. However, as the movement pushed Indian affairs back to the forefront of the nation’s mind, it resurrected the image of a stereotypical native warrior or chieftain, feathers and all. “The American public [felt more] comfortable with the mythical Indians of stereotype,” which mainly involved Indians who were fierce, wore feathers and grunted.[3] Native American culture, or better yet the stereotypical Native American culture, had become exceedingly popular across the United States. Various tribes found their unique culture being forcibly melded with the more popular image of Native Americans. However, it soon became obvious that this stereotypical image could sell and many embraced this idea.
Various Indian reservations/tribes experienced financial success through tourism. The Alabama-Coushatta saw initial success in their tourist business during the mid 1960s, boasting 100,000 tourists at one point.[4] They, along with many other tribes, saw tourism as a path to economic sovereignty. However, many found that white tourists had certain expectations as to what they believed they would see. The Alabama-Coushatta were quick to learn the powwows, dances and songs of other more popular tribes in order to boost their tourist pull. The powwow of the Plains Indians was particularly popular as it was “adopted and adapted by other tribes” across North America in addition to being the most recognizable by non-Indians.[5] The trans-tribal melding continued as traditional animosity between certain tribes seemed to fade as Native Americans across the country became more unified through the Red Power movement.[6]
Various Indian reservations/tribes experienced financial success through tourism. The Alabama-Coushatta saw initial success in their tourist business during the mid 1960s, boasting 100,000 tourists at one point.[4] They, along with many other tribes, saw tourism as a path to economic sovereignty. However, many found that white tourists had certain expectations as to what they believed they would see. The Alabama-Coushatta were quick to learn the powwows, dances and songs of other more popular tribes in order to boost their tourist pull. The powwow of the Plains Indians was particularly popular as it was “adopted and adapted by other tribes” across North America in addition to being the most recognizable by non-Indians.[5] The trans-tribal melding continued as traditional animosity between certain tribes seemed to fade as Native Americans across the country became more unified through the Red Power movement.[6]
While the Red Power movement achieved a great deal for Native American rights and helped fostered a more unified community among all tribes, it also had the effect of causing wide spread cultural melding. This duality of cultural revival and deterioration was created by the success of the Red Power movement. Smaller, less prominent cultures were nearly swallowed up by the much larger and more popular Indian cultures. The Alabama-Coushatta were one of these as their tourist business dealt a similar duality in that it provided economic stability (for a time) but required playing to the Indian stereotype lessening their own unique culture.
Endnotes
[1] Joane Nagel, American Indian Ethnic Renewal: Red Power and the Resurgence of Identity and Culture. (New York: Health Press, 1996), (accessed May 1, 2013), 131.
[2] Occupation of Alcatraz Statement, 1969.
[3] Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins (New York: Macmillan, 1969).
[4] Jonathan B. Hook. The Alabama-Coushatta Indians. (College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1997), 91.
[5] Hook, 88.
[6] Hook, 87.
Images:
[7] "Flag of American Indian Movement" http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Flag_of_the_American_Indian_Movement.svg
[8] "The Occupation of Alcatraz: Celebrate Peoples History" http://www.justseeds.org/images/02ALCATRAZ_600.jpg
[9] "POWWOW" http://oregonfirst.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/mascot-cartoon-way-cool-waht-are-you.jpg
[10] Edward S. Curtis, "The Vanishing Race," 1904
[2] Occupation of Alcatraz Statement, 1969.
[3] Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins (New York: Macmillan, 1969).
[4] Jonathan B. Hook. The Alabama-Coushatta Indians. (College Station: Texas A&M Press, 1997), 91.
[5] Hook, 88.
[6] Hook, 87.
Images:
[7] "Flag of American Indian Movement" http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Flag_of_the_American_Indian_Movement.svg
[8] "The Occupation of Alcatraz: Celebrate Peoples History" http://www.justseeds.org/images/02ALCATRAZ_600.jpg
[9] "POWWOW" http://oregonfirst.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/mascot-cartoon-way-cool-waht-are-you.jpg
[10] Edward S. Curtis, "The Vanishing Race," 1904