Dr. LaNada War Jack, Good Blessings to the Four Directions. 1971

Open Space is delighted to announce our fall magazine, Alcatraz Is Not an Island, guest edited by Dr. LaNada War Jack (Shoshone-Bannock), a co-leader of the Occupation of Alcatraz, and Julian Brave NoiseCat (Canin Lake Band Tsq’escen), a co-founder of the Alcatraz Canoe Journey.

The magazine, which marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz, will launch next month, featuring contributions by Indigenous writers, activists, artists, and scholars. As part of this special issue, Open Space is proud to be supporting Alcatraz: An Unfinished Occupation, a four-part series organized by the Alcatraz Canoe Journey in partnership with the California Historical Society, the Exploratorium, Presidio Trust, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the San Francisco Public Library, and co-sponsored by the Natural History Museum.

An Unfinished Occupation commemorates the Occupation of Alcatraz and explores the significance of present-day Indigenous movements and cultures in the context of a world at risk. The four-part series runs from October 23 to November 17, coinciding with Native American Heritage Month and following on the first-ever canoe journey to Alcatraz.

Schedule of Events:

• October 23: “Landless in the Bay Area,” at the San Francisco Public Library, co-presented with SFMOMA
• November 6: “The Indigenous Environmental Movement,” at the Exploratorium
• November 12: “The Indigenous Canoe Movement,” at the California Historical Society
• November 17: “The Occupation of Alcatraz,” at the Presidio, co-presented with the Presidio Trust and SFMOMA

Open Space will be publishing edited transcripts of the following two events as part of Alcatraz Is Not an Island:

Landless in the Bay Area
Wednesday, October 23, 6–7:30 p.m.
The Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Public Library, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco
Free and open to the public.
Co-presentation with the Alcatraz Canoe Journey, the San Francisco Public Library, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Corrina Gould (Confederated Villages of Lisjan), Ruth Orta (Ohlone/Bay Miwok/Plains Miwok) and Jonathan Cordero (Ramaytush Ohlone), three leaders of traditional Bay Area territories, will speak about historical and contemporary events that have left them landless and without federal recognition. Moderated by Julian Brave NoiseCat (Canin Lake Band Tsq’escen), the conversation will address the work these activists are doing to reclaim culture and re-assert their claim to these lands, and why Indigenous presence matters as San Francisco emerges as one of the wealthiest cities on the planet and a hub for tech corporations and real estate speculation.

The Occupation of Alcatraz
Sunday, November 17, 1–2:30 p.m.
The Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Avenue, San Francisco
Free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required.
Co-presentation with the Alcatraz Canoe Journey, Presidio Trust, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Eloy Martinez (Ute) and Dr. LaNada War Jack (Shoshone-Bannock), original occupiers of Alcatraz, will speak to the context in which the occupation occurred; its immediate impacts on policy, politics, and culture in Indian Country; and the reasons the occupation remains equally relevant today. Moderator Julian Brave NoiseCat (Canin Lake Band Tsq’escen) will also discuss contemporary Indigenous activism.