Happy Native American Heritage Month! Today we’re remembering the Takeover of Fort Lawton, which began on March 8, 1970 when Native activists and their allies scaled fences surrounding what was then the recently decommissioned Fort Lawton military base in Magnolia, launching a coordinated effort to occupy and reclaim the land for use by Native peoples. The occupation lasted several weeks and was the spark that eventually led to the creation of the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in what is now Discovery Park.
Among materials in the archives related to the takeover is a proclamation signed by the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) outlining the reasons and intent behind the occupation. It begins, “We, the native Americans, re-claim this land known as Fort Lawton in the name of all American Indians by the right of discovery.” The proclamation goes on to state that the land would be used to develop a center and resources for Native American studies, education, and art, and concludes “We feel this claim is just and proper, and that this land is rightfully ours as long as the rivers shall flow and for as long as the sun shall shine.” According to the handwritten note at the top, this copy was delivered to the City by the occupation’s principal organizer, Bernie Whitebear, a leading advocate for Native rights and a founding member of the UIATF.
The proclamation was recently highlighted in one of our Views from the Vault videos, incorporating related photos, video clips, and more. Check it out – and find other videos in the series – at our YouTube channel!
Other records in the archives document the months of negotiation and planning that followed the takeover, including correspondence, reports, photographs, and early site plans. Also included are letters sent to city officials from the public expressing both support for and opposition to the Native community’s claim to the land.
An agreement between the City of Seattle and the UIATF was reached in 1971 to secure land within the planned Discovery Park for a center devoted to cultural and educational services for Indigenous peoples. The Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center opened in 1977 and marked the first time public land was officially dedicated for Native peoples’ use since the city was incorporated in 1869.
Bernie Whitebear, Mayor Wes Uhlman, and Senator Henry M. Jackson during the dedication ceremony for the land use agreement on November 14, 1971.
Learn more at our online exhibit on the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center.