While watching "Alcatraz is Not an Island," I really enjoyed the sense of community and need for change that seemed to drive the occupants of the island. It seems that the island became its own little microcosm, engendering a community that, though founded on the grounds that change was needed, seemed to be based on a very old system of community. The main aspect of the story of the occupation of Alcatraz that really caught my attention was the emergence of the "leader" within the community. The competition for power that followed his departure showed a movement in the community towards just another hierarchy that had to be dominated over by one figure. The occupation of Alcatraz, though it was pioneered by a group hungry for change and intent on victory, ended with an almost stereotypical demise, and when I read about the Indian activist movements that followed on the PBS website, I wondered why one of the first attempts to remind American communities of the history and presence of Native Americans fell through so easily. The only conclusion that I could think of was that perhaps it was too soon for such a new community to attempt a statement so large. I also think that in the back of their minds, every person on that island was wondering when they would be stopped and sent home. On some level, a lot of the activists expected to be defeated, but that didn't change their desire for overall change. Alcatraz was an extremely important statement to the country, and because it was followed by such an abundance of activism, it seems that Alcatraz was only the prelude, it's main cause being to remind people that the Native American cultures still exists and still has power and meaning to those who are a member of it.
Question: Do you think the occupants of Alcatraz were more concentrated on obtaining the island itself, or were they more successful in a symbolistic sense?
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To answer your question, I believe that the occupants, truly where “winging” it, and all they could do was hope for the best out come. The plan was to acquire Alcatraz; the occupiers had goals of reaching the moon. Although they did not accomplish their initial plan, they still landed among the stars (pardon the cliché) and achieved a great deal in their “failure.” The Indians had nothing to loose, but everything to gain. They started the fire. Each emerging leader brought their own idea to the table, and conflicts were bounded to occur. This situation reminded me of the film Lawrence of Arabia, how a group of idealistic individuals attempt to start a brand new nation, power struggle ensued, and its ends in a “stereotypical demise,” as you nicely phrased it.
I as well enjoyed the united cohort and standing up together, withstanding harsh conditions and risk being federal percussion in order to cause commotion in the ocean of the government. The words you choose are spot on; “microcosm” and a community that needed change, really do describe what we witness on Alcatraz.
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