Here's Mr. Harmon.

Mr. Harmon.

Hi.

I have a proclamation I'd like to read you.

It was 1969, and 27-year-old native student, Richard Oakes, was standing on Alcatraz Island, the famous prison off the coast of San Francisco.

It had been standing empty for the last six years.

We, the Native Americans, reclaim this land known as Alcatraz Island, in the name of all American Indians by right of discovery.

Why Alcatraz?

Everybody can see it. On one end of the country, you have the Statue of Liberty, and this is just the opposite.

We have a true reality of liberty.

For centuries, conquerors and settlers stole land from indigenous tribes

and struck up treaties they never intended to follow.

And so, years later, in 1969, Richard and fellow native activists

drew up their own deal for Alcatraz. We wish to be fair and honorable in our dealings

with the Caucasian inhabitants of this land, and hereby offer the following treaty. We will purchase

set Alcatraz Island for $24 in glass beads and red cloth,

a precedent set by the white man's purchase of a similar island about 300 years ago.

Richard had a sparkle in his eye.

He looked over Alcatraz with the dream of creating an indigenous Mecca.

Richard, can you describe for me again what it is you hope to build out here on Alcatraz?

Build a nation.

From Futuro Media and PRX, it's Latino USA.

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