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)

40 YEARS LATER ON THE ROCK....

40 years later, my brother Ed and sister Lisa are in the same location as the earlier picture. There's no grass to be seen, like i said...all rocky dirt... The road below is where me and Ed and our friend Ralph used to start our go-carts down the hill....

Guard Tower on the Rock

Me and my brother Ed next to a guard tower on the northside of the Rec Yard. The tower and walkway are no longer there. This was taken around November 1970 during the Occupation. The metal was already corroding back then and was way too dangerous for anyone to walk on.

The Lighthouse

The angle is from the single Guards' apartment building, taken in the Fall of 1970 during the occupation. I lived in the neighboring family apartment building.

During the Indian Occupation of Alcatraz...

My sister Linda and brother Ed laying on the northeast side of the Island facing toward the Power Building.. It was all grassy then, now its all rocky dirt..

Linda and Ed in the Main Cell Block, during the Indian Occupation....posing in the cells (11/70)

Grass Outside the Rec Yard

My sister Linda and me around November 1970 on the Island.  Note the grass, now its nothing but rocky dirt.  You can see my brother's shadow as he's taking our picture.  This is on the northwest side of the Rec Yard.