TVCO...at the Flash Mob Round Dance - Reno, NV

My grandson, TVCO Willie-Deere attending his first Flash Mob Round Dance in Reno, NV (Dec. 2012). The native fire has not died since the days of Alcatraz. Alcatraz was like a rock hitting the water....spreading down thru the generations.. Makes me proud.

Wood Cut 1970 - Alcatraz Newsletter

Water Tower on Alcatraz (2012)

Sunrise on Alcatraz 2012

The Lighthouse on the Rock 2012

Sunrise Ceremony on the Rock 2012

Red Power on Alcatraz

unThanksgiving Day on the Rock 2012

43 years Later

My brother Ed Willie posing 43 years ago, taken today at the Sunrise Ceremony, the unThanksgiving Day for Natives on Alcatraz.

Chow Line on the Rock

My brother Ed in line for some chow during the Indian Occupation. Picture was taken in the Guard's Apartment building. Gail has her back to us.

Ed Willie in the Dining Hall

My brother Ed Willie in the Dining Hall, Main Cell Block, Alcatraz Island, November 1969 during the Indian Occupation. Our first assignment on the Rock was to assist Peter Blue Cloud in the Kitchen Detail...which meant stocking supplies and assisting with the daily meals.

Life on the Rez

Elvin Jr and Elvin Sr and Grandpa James X in the two room house we used to live in Schurz, Walker River Paiute Indian Reservation. Me and my sibs were there around 1966 or so...lol. 3 years later in 1969 we were on the Rock. Now the house is all lonesome..boo Life on the rez with no running water, no phone, no bathroom except an Out House...Alcatraz was just like life on the rez...tru story.

The boat ride to Alcatraz

Here's two of my lil sisters, Lisa and Linda riding the boat to Alcatraz during the Indian Occupation. I sure do miss those days.

Bonafide

Island resident #049....card carrying Indian all over again....lol

Jerry Hatch, Island Security chief, my uncle Vernon Conway in the background was on the Island Council. John Jiminez is in the glasses. This pic was taken in the guards' family apartments (1970-Alcatraz Indian Occupation)

Life on the Rock: Prison Industry Building (1970)

The prison laundry building. Here's where me and my brother along with our friend Ralph used old laundry carts and dollies to build go-carts that we'd race down the steep slopes of the Island. We had a ton of fun.

Outside the Yard (1970)

Fogginess on the Rock

My sister Linda and Brother Ed on Alcatraz during the Fall of 1970. It's so foggy, you can't see the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Note the grass, located on the northside of the Prison Yard...Now its all rocky soil.

Lounging on the Rock

Here's my brother Ed and sister Linda lounging on the grass of the Rock, northeast side of the Island facing the Power Plant building. Now that little hill is all rocky dirt...no grass to be seen.

Paintings inside Building 64

Here's my sister Lisa in Building 64 on Alcatraz, looking at some of the graffiti painting left behind by the Indian occupiers. Lisa was about 6 years old back during the occupation.

Old Hiding Place

Here's my brother, Ed Willie, climbing up the holes we created 40 years ago...he was 12 years old back then. The holes were used by us kids to climb into the ceiling of Building 64 on Alcatraz. We intended to use them as hiding places in case the government came to take us off the island. This picture was taken last year during our visit to our old hiding places on the Rock.

LIFE ON THE ROCK

Picture taken in one of the apartments used by the guards' families. Here's a picture of Linda Aranydo, Eldy Bratt, and Marilyn Miracle with Varushka, Georgia, Margaret (in the background) and my cousin Eileen (back facing camera). I believe that's Nadya Bratt behind Linda, but i'm not sure. Linda was one of the original occupiers that first landed on the Island in November 1969, she's currently a doctor at the Native American Health Center in Sacramento. Eldy is Ben's mom. Marilyn was suspected of being a federal informant. (Jan. 1970-Alcatraz Island).

Near the Docks

A few people fell into the drinks and had to fished out of the cold water... exciting times!

LOOK Magazine Picture

Here i am in the old picture with the 'thinking bubble' above my head. My Brother Ed is on the flat screen TV on the documentary "We Hold the Rock."

The Warden's House on fire

I remember the night of the fire well. The throng that led up to the Lighthouse reminded me of the villagers with torches and pitchforks going up to Frankenstein's house. I remember being at the docks as the embers of the fire drifted overhead and the big spotlight of a Coast Guard cutter cruising close by... It's a nite i'll never forget. (US Coast Guard photo of the smoldering Coast Guard apartments and Warden's house on Alcatraz in 1970 - Alcatraz Island July 6, 2011 National Park Service)

The Whiteman's Lighthouse

Here's a pencil drawing i did for the Island newsletter (Spring 1970).

Tipi on the Rock

Here I am standing outside the Tipi on Alcatraz Island during the Fall of 1970. The Tipi was used for ceremonial purposes during the Indian Occupation. You can see the Main Cell Block in the background. I was 17 years old at the time....

Ed on Alcatraz

My brother Ed, outside the wall of the Rec Yard on Alcatraz Island, Fall on 1970 during the Indian Occupation.

The Rock Today

Alcatraz Island on April 3 2012 with the water tower encased as part of a rehabilitation project.
— at Alcatraz Island. (https://www.facebook.com/alcatraz)

Caves on Alcatraz

Here i am in a cave underneath Alcatraz Island (1970)

Friendly band of Indians Occupying the Main Cell Block - Alcatraz Island

Here we are for all posterity...a group photo of the Indian occupiers. I'm in the last row peeking over everyone (right center). The photographer from LOOK magazine told us not to smile. I guess he wanted the 'noble savage' look...lol. (December 1969).

Indian Property

Here's my brother in his pre-militant look on the island during the Occupation. I took this picture on the southside of the Island, somewhere that's prohibited to the tourists since it's so close to the water's edge. (Dec 1969)

Life on the Rock - the Early Days

The early days of the Indian Occupation that is. Here's a pic of Merv Griffin interview Stella Leach for his TV talk show. In the background, you can see "Indian Joe" Morris stolling by. Other pics show David Leach and his brother Michael.. I don't know the little girl's name. This pic was years before Photoshop where the REAL cut and paste took place....lol.

Life on the Rock

My two sisters on the balcony of the Family Apartment building during the Indian Occupation of Alcatraz. They're leaning on sleeping bags that are airing out. Also, our friend Margaret and her little bother (Jan 1970)

View of C Block from the Gun Gallery

Looking down on C Block from the South Gun Gallery. Most tourists don't get to have this view of the Main Cell Block on Alcatraz. (Oct. 2011)

The Light House on Alcatraz During the Indian Occupation

Looking up at the Light House from the single guard's apartment building. I lived next door in the family apartments. Must've been a good bay view in the mornings...

Looking Down on Broadway

Here i am looking down on Broadway from the third tier of the Main Cell Block of Alcatraz. (Nov 1970)

Night time on the Rock

Here i am, exploring the water's edge on Alcatraz (Nov 1970)

On the Balcony of Building 64

Here we are on the top balcony overlooking the docks on Building 64 (Oct. 2011). Here's where me and my brother had hiding places in the ceilings of the rooms back in 1969 during the Indian Occupation. I'll post some of these places in future blogs.

Ready for the Dungeons of Alcatraz

Here we are ready for our trek into the Dungeons of Alcatraz underneath the Main Cell Block. We were lucky to have to volunteer guides take us to places off the tourist track. (Oct, 2011)

Cave on Alcatraz

This cave ran from the Power Building on the east to the Industry building on the westside. Here's, my brother Ed posing near the eastside entrance. (Nov.1970)

One cave on Alcatraz where there's no tour..

Here's one site on Alcatraz you won't get a tour of. A cave located on the eastern side of the Island, just north of the docks. (11/1970)

Smoking Painting on Alcatraz

Here's my brother smoke painting with a candle underneath the Main Cell Block in the 'dungeons' (aka: Citadel). One of these days, i'll have to go back and take some pictures of the "work" we left behind... Note the orbs shown in the pic, just light playing off the camera lens...right? (Nov. 1970)

Steep hills of the Rock....

View of the steep hills of the Rock, before the tourist invasion. The Island is wide open with no barriers anywhere to be seen. Me and brother used race go-carts down these hills. The carts were made from the laundry carts used in the prison....

40 Years Later

Here i am coming up from the Citadel (AKA Dungeons). One picture during the Occupation and the other one 40 years later and with alot less hair....lol

West side of the Island

You can barely make out me and my sister in the background near the water. We used to load supplies onto the Island from this side if the Coast Guard had it blocked on the east side docks....lots of memories.

Mystic Island....the Rock

My brother's mystic look on the Rock during Indigenous People's Day...Great Pic Ed!

Posing in the ruins of the Warden's House on the Rock

My brother Ed and sister Linda posing in the ruins of the Warden's house. We stayed here on our first day of the Occupation. It was our first day of true freedom, after the hard streets of San Francisco and Oakland leading up to our move. We were welcomed by Vicky Santana, a young Blackfoot woman who showed us where to bed down for the night...we had come home

Ed and Linda posing outside the Rec Yard

We used to find shanks in the grass outside the yard where cons used to toss them over the wall. Wish I woulda kept them for posterity's sake and donated them back to the Island museum...rats!

Outside the Rec Yard

Here's me and my brother Ed standing on top of the stairway leading into the Rec Yard... Posing around the Island, (Nov 1970)