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Alcatraz, San Francisco, California
Many of the buildings on Alcatraz were destroyed in
the period between 1969-1971 when American Indian protestors occupied the island
demanding it be deeded over to all Indian tribes and a cultural center set up.
Eventually, Indians filtered out and hippies filtered in, man. Drug use
soared and the Indian leader's step-daughter fell to her death (unrelated to
drug use). As it fell apart, the US Government, inactive for quite a bit
of the occupation, cut power and fresh water. Fires ensued, one side
blaming the other. I would tend to say it was the occupiers, as
conspiracies rarely are true, IMHO. The end result was disaster for the
original occupiers, but in general, self-determination for American Indians as a
whole, as their true plight had been impressed on the public.
©2005, Jeffrey L. Cooper
