Community activists do not exist in a vacuum. Instead, they support, inspire and influence each other. Join Ranger Fatima to learn about the Native American activists who occupied Alcatraz from 1969–71, and their relationship to other groups such as the Black Panthers and Brown Berets, who were also fighting for civil rights in their own communities during the same era.   

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UrbanRezLife is an artist, storyteller and writer. She is an enrolled member of the Caddo Nation. She is also Cheyenne Arapaho. Born and raised in San Francisco, California, she was on Alcatraz as a child with her mother, sisters and aunt. UrbanRezLife continues to share the stories of the Occupation of Alcatraz.

Born into two California pioneering families, Joan Tarika Lewis has been described as a Renaissance woman. Jazz Violinist, Visual Artist, writer, teacher, genealogist Ms. Lewis performs, teaches violin to young students and has several murals located in Oakland. Ms. Lewis is a graduate of Cal State EastBay and the Academy of Art in S.F. Ms. Lewis is credited for being the first female recruit of the Black Panther Party for Se.f Defense in Oakland, Ca. She has made numerous appearances in documentaries including PBS ‘Vanguards of the Revolution’, Oakland Museum’s 50th BPP celebration documentary, Melvin Van Peebles motion picture ‘PANTHER’, PBS ‘Story of Cool’ and Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s ‘Finding Your Roots Show’. Ms. Lewis’ visual arts contributions include Greeting Card designs, T-Shirt designs, portrait, landscapes, fashion illustrations, indoor and outdoor murals. Ms. Lewis gives numerous lectures on Oakland’s History focussing on West Oakland’s contributions and and the infancy of the Black Panther Party. She gives annual in person tours throughout Oakland and Berkeley where BPP activities took place.

Eloy Martinez is a Chicano and Southern Ute Nation, from the four-corners area of Colorado, he is an activist and leader. He did not like what was happening on reservations in Colorado: poor conditions, discrimination, police brutality and more, so he broke the cycle by coming to California, where he enrolled in a leadership training program and started getting involved with native communities. In California, he met Richard Oakes, who recruited him to join the Alcatraz Occupation. 

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