Richard Oakes has been recognized as one of the most influential people in the United States of America, This notable activist, who was born on 22nd of May 1942 in Akwesasne, New York, had tiredly and actively fought for the rights of the Native American people. He was always so determined to make the native people of the country get better treatments and more justice. So then, there were no more gaps among the people where they could have the same chance to get an excellent education and to possess a federal out of use land to live on. Besides, there are actually so many other things that you have to know about Richard Oakes Activist. Luckily, you can figure them out below.
His Life before Becoming an Activist
Richard Oakes had spent him on the Mohawk Indian Reservation which is located in Akwesasne, New York (near the border of the Canadian). He started to live his life in a traditional way by fishing and planting squash, beans, and corns just like the other natives did. Yet, the bad thing began to happen when there was a construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway which brought the heavy industry to the area. As time went by, this construction also contaminated the environment so badly, so that there were no proper lands, and waters. Then, in order to overcome the hard times, he had, he decided to become a steelworker that made him travel a lot. Furthermore, he met an Italian woman who gave him a son called Bryan in 1968. Unfortunately, he divorced his wife after the birth of his son because he wanted to enroll in San Francisco State University. According to the Richard Oakes Multicultural Center, when he became a student at the college, he attended class in the day and worked as a bartender at night.
Things He Did After Leaving Alcatraz
After leaving Alcatraz, Richard Oakes he decided to join the other activist organization which was called Pit River Tribe. This particular organization had been focused on reclaiming three million acres of property from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. Well, he actually had some plans to do with the property, but they led him into awful police brutality instead of success. So then, he became a victim of tear gas, billy clubs, and even brief jail time because of something that he really believed. The good news was that he was released soon even though he was hospitalized for about a month as he got involved in a terrible bar fight once he went back to San Francisco in 1971.
Why the People Wanted Alcatraz
Last but not least, there was a specific reason why Richard Oakes really wanted to make Alcatraz belong to the Native American people. Simply, he actually wanted to build a university for the native people on the island, so that they would have easier access to the better education. Thus, in the end, they could have bigger job opportunities for sure.