He Held the Rock

“Richard Oakes was a student from New York who attended San Francisco State University, where he helped develop one of the first Native American Studies departments in the nation. He went on to lead the Alcatraz Occupation (1969-1971), in which he and a small group of Indigenous college students lived on the abandoned island in protest of Congress’s Termination Policy towards Natives. Eventually, the Occupation grew and even garnered global attention, resulting in the passage of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. Tragically, Oakes was murdered at the age of 30 and did not get to witness this success.

This piece was inspired by the Proclamation of Alcatraz, a message that the occupiers addressed to ‘the Great White Father and All His People’ that used history to highlight past injustices and called for change. The colors were inspired by that of the Akwesasne flag, and the ties represent the connections that Oakes built across tribes, states, and nations.”

Emily Eid is a sophomore pursuing a BFA in Art with a minor in Russian. She primarily paints with oils but has recently been exploring sculpture. Her goal as an artist is to share her perspective as a disabled person and to raise awareness about disability discrimination and medical malpractice.

You can view Emily’s portfolio here.