Richard Oakes, a Mohawk student, ironworker and leader of the group, said of the movement: “Alcatraz is not an island. It’s an idea.”

Opinion | Why Alcatraz Matters to Native Americans

The Nisqually were tailed close behind by the Northern Quest from Shxwhá:y Village in British Columbia, the yellow wooden body of their canoe painted with the crest of a white raven.