Final answer:
In the late 1960s, Native American activists occupied Alcatraz Island to advocate for indigenous rights, establishing an occupation that lasted 19 months and played a key role in the 'Red Power' movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the late 1960s, the Native American activists made significant strides for indigenous rights when they staged protests and occupied Alcatraz Island. On November 20, 1969, the occupation began with the intent to create an American Indian cultural center that would include a history museum, an ecology center, and a spiritual sanctuary. This event was a part of the wider Pan-Indian movement, aimed at promoting self-determination and bringing attention to issues such as the federal government's violation of treaties.
The activists sustained the occupation for approximately 19 months, enduring cutoffs of electricity and telephone service, and even personal tragedies such as the accidental death of an occupier's daughter. Their efforts attracted the support of celebrities and the national media, serving to raise awareness about Native American rights. Although the government eventually removed the occupiers in June 1971, the occupation of Alcatraz had succeeded in drawing national attention to the concerns of Native American communities and was a symbolic act of 'Red Power'.