Spurred on by earlier occupations of governemnt land by Chicanos, a group of approximately 100 Native Americans led by Richard Oakes began the occupation of Alcatraz Island on November 20, 1969. The protesters claimed the island as their own and pressed the US government to cede all rights to the island to its rightful owners.

The 19-month occupation of Alcatraz brought together Indians from various tribes throughout North America. The occupation brought Native issues worldwide attention and proved a watershed event in the activist movement, instilling many occupiers with a new sense of "Indianness." The occupation was brought to an end on June 11, 1971 when President Nixon ordered the remaining occupiers removed.