There’s no denying why Native Americans are so commonly forgotten after the 1800s, their very existence being rudely misinterpreted as “evil opponents” who were defeated in battle, which couldn’t be further from the truth. A primary reason for this is the prisons that Native Americans were commonly kept in during this period, some for legitimate crimes, and others just for being Native American, especially including Alcatraz, the impact of which lasted for a long time. As shown by the video, “The 1969 Occupation of Alcatraz Was a Catalyst for Indigenous Activism”, produced by Colleen Thurston, its occupation and attempts to reclaim ancestral land promoted a strong increase in standing up for Native rights, leading to support even as the Native Americans were forcibly removed from the old prison complex. This is because the indigenous people participating in the occupation utilized old treaties like the Treaty of Fort Laramie, which said the Lakota had the right to seize ancestral lands, and luckily they already had plans for the future. This included organizing marches like “The Longest Walk”, where they started in Alcatraz and walked all the way to D.C. for more rights, and gathering at important places in large groups such as the Standing Rock Dakota Access Pipeline to protect their lands and reservations. This got the attention of the media and led to more widespread support, including things like the series “Reservation Dogs”, which was made by indigenous individuals. Alcatraz may have been a dark and gloomy place made to dehumanize people, especially Native American ones, but its most powerful legacy is waking up indigenous people to stand up for their rights and find a way for them to function in a society that wants to leave them in the past. In that case, prison made the Native Americans stronger than ever, but in a positive, resourceful way, not the violent stereotype of history. This extends to many Native Americans incarcerated in other prisons and viewed as possibly not guilty, like Leonard Peltier. With no real evidence, there are still people who don’t take Peltier’s side, and that is part of the effect of creating prisons that seem to target indigenous people more than any other race. By showing humans to trust each other, the Native Americans protesting because of these prisons are showing a light at the end of their tunnel, but it is still a long and winding road to get there and find a way to live in full peace, as their indigenous ancestors once did.