– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

This is Alcatraz Island.

The Rock.

Home to America’s most infamous prison.

It long stood as a symbol of confinement and inescapable fate.

But it’s also a place of radical change,

the site of perhaps the most important event in modern Native American history.

More than a protest, it was a catalyst that helped bring the relationship

between the American government and Native nations into a brand new era.

One that we’re still feeling the effects of today.

Hi! I'm Che Jim, and welcome to Crash Course Native American History.

[THEME MUSIC]

In previous episodes, we covered a lot of friction 

between the U.S. government  and Native American peoples.

There were broken treaties and forced removal to reservations.

The attempted elimination of Native cultures through assimilation and allotment.

Efforts to repair things that fell short, like the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.

And then sweeping reversals of previous agreements with the Termination Era.

Things were…pretty bad. For, like, centuries.

So by the 1960s, tensions were high between Native nations and the U.S. government.

Native groups, like the American Indian Movement and Red Power Movement,

had risen up to try to make change.

Power to the people!

And in November 1969, a group of Native Americans, calling themselves Indians of All Tribes,

took over and occupied Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay for 19 months.

That’s over a year and a half.

Side note, Alcatraz Island was originally home to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe…

for about 10,000 years before  the Spanish “discovered” it.

Richard Oakes, one of the group’s leaders, said in a statement,

“The choice now lies with the leaders of the American government

— to use violence upon us, as before,

to remove us from our Great Spirit's land,

or to institute a real change in its dealing with the American Indian.”

Basically, the ball is in your court.

And here’s the thing: it worked.

A year after the occupation began,

then-president Richard Nixon announced plans 

for a sweeping new policy for  dealing with Native nations.

One that would return power to tribal authorities and reaffirm Native sovereignty.

It was time to enter our Self-Determination Era.

This period, which began in the late ’60s and continues to this day,

is defined by Native American activism.

Activism pushing for the  honoring of previous treaties, 

more autonomy over how we’re governed,

and more control over resources on tribal lands.

In other words, activism pushing  for the ability to self-determine.

Solid name.

But before we dive into the good – and bad – of this new era of federal Indian policy,  

let's zoom out a little.

For decades, the U.S.  government had entrusted itself 

with the welfare of Native nations.

A relationship that was established  by treaties and policies, 

and reinforced by Supreme Court cases.

The bulk of that trust relationship was maintained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or BIA.

But many Native nations had never stopped fighting for their inherent right to self-govern.

And while protest movements like the occupation of Alcatraz helped to finally push policy forward,

self-determination had been the goal of many tribal leaders for years.

Like, in the early 60’s, the Zuni  Nation of what’s now New Mexico

found a legal loophole that  allowed them to take more control 

over critical community services  typically handled by the BIA.

By replacing federal employees  with elected Tribal Leaders, 

the Nation gained more say in its own governance.

Nixon actually pointed to the success of the Zuni 

in his speech calling for  self-determination, saying quote,

“The time has now come to build on these experiences and to extend local Indian control.”

In 1975, Nixon’s proposal became a reality through 

The Indian Self-Determination  and Education Assistance Act.

And as of 2024, self-determination remains the driving policy behind U.S/tribal relations.

We determine ourselves, thank you very much.

But what does this actually  mean for Native Americans?

Basically, self-determination  allows Native nations 

more control over social services

like schools, first responders,  and healthcare clinics.

The federal government still maintains oversight – and the process is convoluted,  

to say the least –

but it’s no longer fully in charge of these essential parts of tribal communities.

The federal government is also required to consult with Native nations

any time they plan to propose a policy that would directly involve them.

Or, take education.

For over a hundred years, the government ran, or outsourced,

Indian boarding schools that focused primarily on erasing Native culture,

and absorbing Natives into American culture — a process called assimilation.

This was often accompanied by physical, sexual, and emotional violence.

There’s much more on this in episode 12.

But in the era of self-determination, most tribes 

were able to take over  governance of BIA-run schools,

radically altering the way  Native youth were taught.

That meant ditching the old assimilation tactics 

and turning tribal-run schools into  places of community and healing.

For example, in what’s now Oklahoma,

the Riverside Indian School  once forced Native students 

to cut their hair and punished  them for speaking their languages.

Today, Native students there are learning about their history and culture –

participating in traditional dances and songs,

and wearing customary clothing like moccasins and ribbon dresses.

Some of the former students have even returned to serve as teachers,

helping to undo the harm of the past.

And while the school is still  technically operated by the BIA, 

thanks to self-determination laws,

its day-to-day operation is run by local Native administrators and teachers.

Core subjects are also being filtered through a Native lens thanks to this new structure.

Like, using the teachings  of Yup’ik Elders in Alaska, 

some schools have connected their  math curriculum to cultural knowledge

by teaching about geometry  using a traditional salmon rack.

By combining culture with  context, students are able 

to better connect with  abstract mathematical formulas.

And many tribes are finding that  teaching in Native languages

or using Native cultural touchstones actually reinforces other areas of learning.

At the Rock Point chapter  of the Navajo Reservation 

in what’s now northern Arizona,

all classes are taught in the  native language of Navajo.

Children learn everything from math to grammar in the language of their ancestors.

It’s part of a recent effort to  revitalize the Navajo language.

And not only does it do wonders  for the language itself,

but researchers found that students at Rock Point 

scored higher in math compared  to kids on other reservations.

They even scored higher in English!

Other steps were taken to protect Native children during this period, too.

Like, in 1978, just a few years  into the era of self-determination, 

Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act.

This made it easier for a Native  child to be placed with a relative, 

tribal foster agency, or other  member of their Native nation.

It was passed in response to  a congressional investigation 

which found Native children  were “removed from their homes

at much higher rates than non-Native children.”

Often, they were placed with non-Native families and in non-Native communities.

And arguably, there’s no better resource for Native children than their families and tribes.

Children raised by relatives are far more likely

to live in a stable environment and more likely to be employed or in school by age 21.

And they’re less likely to  be unhoused or incarcerated.

But before you go thinking  that the self-determination era 

is all glitter and roses, there  have been – and still are – issues.

Remember, during the previous era of termination, 

lots of Native nations lost  their federal recognition.

Which meant the federal government ended the 

nation-to-nation relationship  they had with those tribes.

Which also meant they could no longer apply for funding and grants through the new policies.

So not every tribe gets to experience the positive effects of self-determination.

And then, there was corruption and fiscal mismanagement within the BIA itself.

In the 1980s, George H.W.  Bush’s administration organized 

the Special Committee to  Investigate American Indian Affairs.

And in 1989 it released a  report that found, quote, 

“fraud, corruption, and mismanagement”

were pervasive within the BIA – as well as within tribal governments themselves.

In the intervening years, Congress passed a number of amendments to the original

Indian Self-Determination law designed to address some of these issues.

Passed in 1988, one amendment further protected 

the ability of tribes to contract  and manage federal programs

for themselves and to use  funds as they deem necessary.

Other later amendments  established Tribal Self-Governance 

as a permanent program within the  Department of the Interior (or DOI)

and the Department of Health  and Human Services (or DHHS).

These amendments gave Tribal  Leaders more oversight 

in the way funds were actually  being spent on tribal programs.

Which is what they should have had all along. So, that brings us to today.

It’s now been over 50 years since Native activists sailed into the waters of the San Francisco Bay

and claimed an island prison as their own.

In 2015, one of the original occupiers, 

Jonny Bearcub of the  Assiniboine and Sioux Nations,

spoke at the 45th anniversary gathering.

"Alcatraz was the beginning [...]

it was also giving permission  to everybody in Indian country 

that it's okay, you can stand up for your rights.”

In the years that followed, plenty of Natives heeded that call,

pushing the U.S. government toward a more just relationship with Native nations.

And that work is ongoing.

For example, the National Association  of Food Distribution Programs 

on Indian Reservations consults with  the U.S. Department of Agriculture

to advocate for better access  to fresh and traditional foods.

That includes increasing tribal  control to source healthier options 

in the food packages serving Native communities.

Because here’s the thing, self-determination policies have done a lot for Native nations.

They’ve given us more control  over our tribal governments, 

allowed us to provide education to  our youth through cultural context,

and helped keep Native  children with Native families.

But they haven’t been a cure-all.

There are still unrecognized treaties, unceded lands, and legacies of injustice.

But the good thing is, there are still people willing to fight for a better world.

And who knows?

Maybe in the years to come, we’ll find another path forward and we’ll enter a brand new era.

In our next episode, we’re going  to explore some of the ways 

modern Federal Indian Policy  impacts Natives today.

And I’ll see you then.

Thanks for watching this episode of Crash Course Native American History,

which was filmed at our studio  in Indianapolis, Indiana, 

and was made with the help  of all these nice people.

If you want to help keep Crash  Course free for everyone, 

forever, you can join our community on Patreon.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
occupation /ˌɒkjuˈpeɪʃən/ B2	noun - the act of taking control of a place, especially using military force
determination /dɪˌtɜːrmɪˈneɪʃən/ B2	noun - the act of deciding something definitely
government /ˈɡʌvərnˌmənt/ B1	noun - the group of people who are responsible for controlling and organizing a country
policy /ˈpɒləsi/ B2	noun - a plan of action agreed or chosen by a political party or business
sovereignty /ˈsʌvrɪnti/ C1	noun - the power of a country to control its own government
activism /ˈæktɪvɪzəm/ C1	noun - the use of vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change
autonomy /ɔːˈtɒnəmi/ C1	noun - the power of a country, group, etc. to govern itself
treaty /ˈtriːti/ B2	noun - a formal agreement between two or more countries
assimilation /əˌsɪmɪˈleɪʃən/ C1	noun - the process of taking in and fully understanding new information or ideas
governance /ˈɡʌvərnəns/ C1	noun - the way in which a company, organization, etc. is controlled and organized
inherent /ɪnˈherənt/ C1	adjective - existing as a natural or basic part of something
termination /ˌtɜːrmɪˈneɪʃən/ B2	noun - the ending of something
corruption /kəˈrʌpʃən/ B2	noun - the act of being dishonest or illegally changing something for your own advantage
language /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/ A1	noun - a system of communication by written or spoken words which is used by the people of a particular country or area
reservation /ˌrezərˈveɪʃən/ B1	noun - an area of land held back or set aside for a particular purpose
tribe /traɪb/ B1	noun - a group of people of the same race, religion, family, etc.
movement /ˈmuːvmənt/ A1	noun - an act or process of moving people or things from one place or position to another
removal /rɪˈmuːvəl/ B1	noun - the act of taking something or someone away from a place