Alcatraz is Not an Island

Director: James M. Fortier
Screenwriters: James M. Fortier, Troy Johnson, Millie Ketcheshawno, Jon Plutte, Mike Yearling

Institute History

  • 2001 Sundance Film Festival

Description

The 1969-71 occupation of Alcatraz Island, off the shores of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, brought together Native people from across the country and beyond for the first time since battling the cavalry of the advancing United States Army in the 1880s. Alcatraz is a landmark in the contemporary Native American political front—a place where many found their voices in the shadow of the Civil Rights movement and in the face of the continued injustices perpetrated on American Indians by the United States government. Alcatraz Is Not an Island is an important and poignant Native-made documentary featuring interviews with Wilma Mankiller, Vine Deloria, John Trudell, and others. Filmmaker James Fortier does a thorough and insightful job of bringing awareness to this important and successful event.

— Heather Rae

Screening Details

Credits

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