This week in 1971, Federal Marshals forcibly removed the last members of the Indians of All Tribes from Alcatraz Island after a 19-month occupation.
Considered by many to be the pivotal event in what became known as the Red Power Movement—a Native American civil rights movement advocating for self-determination and sovereignty in response to cultural eradication and broken treaties—the occupation of Alcatraz attracted thousands of oppressed Native Americans to the former San Francisco Bay prison.
When the prison closed in 1963, Alcatraz became surplus government property. A group of college students calling themselves the Indians of All Tribes claimed that abandoned, out-of-use federal land was to be returned to the Indigenous peoples who once occupied it, according to the terms of an 1868 treaty between the U.S. and the Lakota tribe.
The group used the little-known provision to secretly seize control of “The Rock” on a cold, windy November night.
Though the occupation ultimately ended with federal authorities forcibly removing the occupiers, the ordeal drew national attention and attracted the support of prominent celebrities of the day including Marlon Brando, Anthony Quinn, and Jane Fonda.
The rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival even bought the occupiers a boat, which was aptly christened the “Clearwater.”
Eventually public attention waned, and the Federal Marshals made their move. Upon hearing of the removal of the final occupiers, Richard Oakes, one of the original Indians of All Tribes leaders, told the media, “Alcatraz is not an island. It is an idea.”
Oakes’ words sparked dozens of other protests around the country, resulting in legislation that changed the relationship between the Federal Government and Native Americans, the return of tribal lands, and the end of Termination and Relocation policies.
I’ve come to view the concept of being a “good teammate” similar to the way Oakes viewed Alcatraz: A good teammate is not an individual. It is an idea—a powerful idea.
This idea can change a team’s entire culture. It can also lead to the discovery of purpose, a rejuvenated spirit, and inherent happiness. For the idea to work, however, you must be willing to demonstrate courage, assume risk, and sacrifice comfort.
Movements aren’t sparked by dissatisfied people complaining from the safety of the shore. They’re sparked by those who brave the perilous waters of change. They’re sparked by those who take action.
Like Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, and many other Civil Rights icons, Richard Oakes illustrated the power of one.
Never underestimate the influence of an individual motivated to be a good teammate. One good teammate can change everything. One good idea can spark a movement.
As always…Good teammates care. Good teammates share. Good teammates listen. Go be a good teammate.
