A Few Malihinis

In 1963, Alcatraz was closed as a federal prison. It was simply too expensive to run, and the structure was not exactly state-of-the-art anymore. Native Americans inhabited the island from 1969-1971. It was part of their movement for recognition from the government. Many Native Americans claim that they "found themselves" here. At first, it was widely supported by the people of the Bay Area, but it lost popularity pretty quickly, and then died out.