Richard Oakes, born on this day in 1942, was a Mohawk indigenous activist and leader within the Red Power movement, playing a prominent role in the 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969 - 1971.
Oakes promoted Native American studies in university curricula and is credited for helping to change U.S. federal government "Termination" policies (policies regarding assimilation of indigenous people into the culture of the colonizer) of Native American peoples and culture.
In 1969, Oakes led a 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island with LaNada Means, approximately 50 California State University students, and 37 others. On January 5th, 1970, Oakes' 12-year-old daughter, Yvonne, fell to her death from concrete steps. After her funeral, Oakes left the island.
In 1972, Oakes was shot and killed in Sonoma, California, by Michael Morgan, a YMCA camp manager. Allegedly, Oakes violently confronted Morgan, and Morgan responded by drawing a handgun and fatally shooting Oakes.
Oakes was unarmed when he was shot. Morgan claimed he acted in self-defense, and was acquitted on charges of voluntary manslaughter.
"We do not fear your threat to charge us with crimes on our land. We and all other oppressed peoples would welcome spectacle of proof before the world of your title by genocide. Nevertheless, we seek peace."
Richard Oakes
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found a cool ass pepper dude that sells a bunch of neat pepper plant varieties out of his house yesterday. i've been wanting to try a habanada plant (it's a habanero that doesn't make capsaicin!) but while you can find em online pretty easily no nurseries around here have them with the exception of this guy's driveway pepper operation. got to his place and he's like "wassup yeah you can just have the habanada, kind of a small plant this year so i don't wanna charge you." hell yeah dawg fuckin righteous. i ended up buying an aji lemon and a sugar rush peach stripey plant from him too, those were my backups in case he was out of the habanadas. so I've got those three and tobascos goin' this year.
anyway i wanna make a super flavorful habanero sauce that's only a 🤏 spicy, I'll let you know if it works out in like three months.
also