2026 Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Gathering

On October 12, 2026, thousands of participants boarded ferries from Pier 33 in San Francisco before 5 am to attend the annual Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Gathering on Alcatraz Island. Organized by the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), the event commemorated 534 years of Indigenous resistance in the Americas and paid tribute to the 19-month occupation of the island from November 1969 to June 1971 by the Indians of All Tribes. The gathering brought together delegates from tribal nations across North, Central, and South America, alongside local Ramaytush Ohlone leaders on whose ancestral territory the island sits.

The ceremony featured traditional drumming, dancing, and speeches addressing contemporary native sovereignty, human rights, and environmental protection. Speakers highlighted historical milestones, including the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie—which activists originally cited to claim federal land—and the ongoing work surrounding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The event was broadcast live locally on KPFA 94.1 FM and streamed globally, providing an international platform for indigenous advocates while affirming Alcatraz’s role as a symbol of native self-determination.