Park Postcards Podcast Episode Five Alcatraz Script
[General description: Ranger Mariajose ]
This is Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s Park Postcards Podcast!
Each episode will introduce you to what makes each park site unique, through the voice of community members who have visited, and our park rangers who work there.
We aim to highlight the work we do to connect our local community groups to the special places in our park, and what these places and experiences mean to them. The beauty of our outreach work is collaborating with diverse community members and newcomers to introduce them and welcome them to their National Parks.
We hope that through listening to these “audio postcards”, you get excited to visit Golden Gate National Recreation Area in a healthy and safe future!
[Ranger Mariajose's Transition to Community Speaker: ]
This is Ranger Mariajose. You’re tuned in to episode five featuring the famous rock in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island. Most people immediately think of infamous inmates, cell doors slamming, or action films when they hear about Alcatraz, but the Rock holds a much deeper history and culture that still rises strong. Let’s step back over fifty years ago.. it’s 1969.. Imagine yourself stepping off a boat onto an island of rock, the gulls and hummingbirds pirouette and sing above, a fire welcomes you along with hands of familiar strangers, your new family. Just a mile and a half across the bay, San Francisco grows curious about the movement singing loud and proud led by indigenous activists of all tribes.. and of all ages. I am honored to introduce you to our special guest, a veteran of the Indian occupation who has called Alcatraz her home since the age of eight. UrbanRezLife, also known as Kristina Longoria, is a storyteller, activist, an artist featured on the Red Power exhibit on the island, who is always happy to share her experience.
[Community Speaker’s Postcard: Kris Longoria – UrbanRezLife ]
Welcome community. First I would like to acknowledge the Ohlone people whose territory I occupy. My name is Urban Rez Life, I am a member of the Caddo nation and I'm also Cheyenne Arapaho. I was born and raised in San Francisco CA. Welcome to Alcatraz my “urban rez.” Not many people know about the occupation of Alcatraz. On November 20th 1969, a group of students and activists boarded a boat and headed to Alcatraz to claim it. They were led by Richard Oakes and Dr. LaNada War Jack. They wanted the federal government to honor treaties and federal laws, to this day we are still fighting for treaties to be honored.
The occupation of Alcatraz led to the most significant changes in Indian country today - especially during this time. 1969 was a year of many changes. Hundreds of people joined them on Alcatraz including my family: my mother, my tia, my sisters and I. This was the spark that lit the fire, as this has been one of the most historical moments in Indian country, since then we've had more like Standing Rock.
We are currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of the occupation of Alcatraz we have a large exhibit showcasing some historical photos from the occupation, as well as the memorabilia. I also have some storyboards on display giving some insight to my thoughts and experiences of living on Alcatraz as a child during the occupation.
Sitting on the dock watching people come to the island and leave the island, to this day it's still one of my favorite things to do on Alcatraz. I remember going to the kitchen area always to go help peel potatoes to stay out of the cold and keep warm, to make sure also that my siblings were fed and of course to listen to all the conversations that were going on in the kitchen as I was still trying to figure out what was going on. Fond memories of looking for coats and hats and shoes through the prison cells. Many donations came from people that were donating to the cause. Vivid memories of playing hopscotch, jumping into the water with my friends that I had met, and sitting by the fire as adults met and made plans.
As soon as the boat approaches the island, I see the “Indian land” political statements and I know that I'm home. As a child from an activist family we were always on the move. Alcatraz was my home base on and off for 19 months. I felt safe and secure, but as children we sometimes are invisible and forgotten so we hear the adult conversations. I was still trying to understand why we were there. I would not understand this until later in life, but the memories lie deep within my soul and grew me to be the person that I am today - a storyteller.
I've had the honor to reunite and meet many veterans of Alcatraz and hear their stories. Everyone has a different story and perspective and that makes this place beautiful because just one visit is an adventure in itself.
On the island you will notice some political statements on various building. It has been an honor to work with the National Park Service on the restoration. The main political statement located at the dock was recently restored when we had the opening of the 50th anniversary exhibit. It was amazing to see veterans and their families restore it 50 years later with the next generations.
Two times a year we have a sunrise ceremony, once an Indigenous Peoples Day and the other is on Thanksgiving Day. I have been a part of this ceremony for over 25 years. I need to acknowledge Eloy Martinez – a veteran of Alcatraz, who up until COVID hit, kept our fire on point during sacred ceremonies and also is a keeper of the stories of this island. I strongly suggest you add this to your bucket list, as you can only feel this special medicine on Alcatraz.
If you would like additional information about the occupation of Alcatraz I strongly suggest the book by Dr. LaNada War Jack called “Native Resistance”.
This large exhibit will be up until June 21st, I highly recommend visiting and checking it out. I hope one day to meet you on the island to share more detailed stories of my experience as a veteran of Alcatraz you might even catch me by the “Red Power” statement. The occupation of Alcatraz may be over but our vision and work on this island is still happening. Indians of All Tribes still has its presence here on the island. Thank you to Steve Cote, and the rest of the Alcatraz team in the National Park Service for this collaboration. So come on you guys, come check out Alcatraz! Peace, Urban Rez Life
[Ranger Mariajose’s Transition to Ranger Jackson:]
Hearing UrbanRezLife’s story takes me back to the 50th Anniversary of the Indian Occupation November 2019, I was also there that day, supporting the events and taking in the history being made once again. I must admit tough my eyes teared up, with joy though, to see today’s youth and leaders repainting the faded words to transform them into a bright red. I was amazed by the magic felt on the island those three days and I’m grateful for the sense of community everyone shared as people exchanged stories, made friends or reconnected with old ones. Now, I don’t usually get to work on Alcatraz, but let’s hear from my ranger friend who does – Jackson Lam.
[Ranger Jackson’s Alcatraz Story: ]
Hello, my name is Jackson and I’m a Park Ranger on Alcatraz Island.
My favorite thing about working on Alcatraz is that I get to take a ferry to an island every day. And if I’m lucky, I get to sip coffee under our Eucalyptus tree while watching the sailboats go by. On most days, we have a 360-degree view from the middle of the Bay, though we often find ourselves shrouded in fog, but hey that’s the Bay for you.
I also get to work with wonderful people, which includes National Park Service, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and Alcatraz Cruises staff. I’ve made some good friends and I’ve also learned a lot of interesting things about the island’s history.
Many people don’t realize Alcatraz was the site of an important Native American occupation that took place in the context of the wider Civil Rights movements going on at the time. This was the location of the longest occupation of Federal Land in protest of the government. The occupation lasted 19 months in total, starting on November 20th, 1969 to June 11th, 1971, and it was led by a group who later called themselves The Indians of All Tribes.
Now, I understand the irony as a government employee commemorating a protest of the government, but this was something that happened half a century ago, and as with some historical events, it was eventually understood to be a positive one for Native American Rights, despite the complexities of the protest itself at the time.
The Indians of All Tribes still exists today, and participated in the 50th Anniversary commemorations held in November 2019. Veteran occupiers and their families returned to the island for a weekend of events, including the grand opening of the “Red Power” exhibit, which is presently open and accessible to visitors inside the New Industries Building.
One of the coolest things that happened during that weekend was repainting the “Indians Welcome” sign near the dock so that it’s historically accurate to 1969, and that was done by hand by the original occupiers and their families. And also, a shout out to our National Park Service Maintenance staff who helped make that happen safely for everyone.
The Dock Sign is one of the first things that you see when you get off the boat and we get a lot of questions about it, and also the messaging on the water tower, and for particularly observant folks, the Red Power fists that are scattered around the island. So the next time you’re here, keep an eye out for those.
In addition to the Red Power exhibit, there are two events annually that help keep the memory of that occupation alive. On Indigenous People’s Day (aka Columbus Day) and Thanksgiving Day (aka Un-Thanksgiving Day), there is a Sunrise Ceremony on Alcatraz that is organized by the International Indian Treaty Council. These ceremonies have been happening annually since the mid-70s and is a reminder of the layered histories of the island and of the ongoing movements for Indigenous recognition and sovereignty.
Operations on Alcatraz have recently resumed after a prolonged closure due to COVID. If you’re excited to visit Alcatraz in the near future, you should know that we’ve made some adjustments for public safety. Upon arrival to the pier in San Francisco, a staff member will perform a touchless temperature check. You will be required to wear a properly-fitting face covering to board the boat. We also remind folks to keep at least 6 feet distance from other groups while on the boat and on the island. This means that there will be certain areas that are limited in capacity, have a one-way directional flow, or may be closed altogether. Check our website, www.NPS.gov slash A-L-C-A, for the most current information. And lastly, please follow all instructions by Alcatraz staff. We’re here to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience, and we’re looking forward to seeing you here on The Rock.
[Ranger Mariajose - Conclusion and looking ahead]
Thanks podcast friends for tuning in! I hope you will join us again on future episodes that will feature other park sites around the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Stay tuned for our upcoming episodes, we’ll hear from Ranger Cordelia Vargas who works in the Marin Headlands, additionally we have voices from our park partners from the Presidio Trust including Community Partnerships leader Amy Deck and program participants who have shared their Park Postcards, we can’t wait for you to hear them! Until then, recreate responsibly in your National Parks!
