Adam Fortunate Eagle facts for kids

Adam Fortunate Eagle (born Adam Nordwall) is a well-known Native American activist. He is a hereditary member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. He played a key role in organizing the 1969–1971 Occupation of Alcatraz by a group called "Indians of All Tribes."

Growing Up

Adam Nordwall was born in 1929 on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. His father was Swedish, and his mother was Ojibwe. When he was five, his father passed away. This meant his mother had to send him and his four brothers and sisters to boarding school.

He attended schools like Pipestone Indian School in Minnesota and the Haskell Institute in Kansas. These schools helped him learn many useful skills. They also offered a way to escape the tough times of the Great Depression, hunger, and sickness common on reservations then. At Haskell, he met his future wife, Bobbie, a Shoshone woman.

Life in California

After they got married, Adam and Bobbie Nordwall moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1951. Adam became a licensed termite inspector. By the late 1960s, he owned his own company in San Leandro.

Even though he had a good life, Adam felt he and his family needed to connect more with their Native American heritage. He became very active in local Native American issues. He became the chairman of the United Bay Area Council of American Indian Affairs. It was during this time that he first suggested taking over Alcatraz Island.

In 1969, Adam Nordwall gave a large totem pole to the city of Livermore. When the city shortened it for installation, he jokingly said their sewer system would have problems until they fixed the totem pole.

Adam started planning a public event involving a boat trip around Alcatraz. He met with Richard Oakes, a student activist, in October 1969. Adam suggested a boat trip on November 9, and Oakes agreed to bring many students. Adam arranged for boats.

On November 9, the boats were not there, and the news reporters were unsure about the Native Americans dressed in their traditional clothes. Adam found a captain who agreed to provide a boat. The captain said he would not dock on the island. Adam agreed. Once near the shore, Oakes bravely jumped into the water. Adam watched as Oakes and his group struggled to reach the island. They later had to be rescued by the Coast Guard.

Adam was happy because the press noticed their actions. On November 20, 1969, the actual takeover of Alcatraz began. Adam was out of town that day. However, on Thanksgiving, when many people were invited to the island, he arrived in a memorable way. He stood on the front of a ship, much like George Washington, as it crossed the bay. This was the only day he was on the island during the 19-month Occupation of Alcatraz.

Even though he did not live on the island, Adam Nordwall helped from the shore. He assisted those on the island and kept the news reporting on the occupation. This helped bring attention to the challenges faced by Native Americans. After the Alcatraz occupation, Adam continued to be active in Native American affairs. He often worked as a link between the Bay Area Council and the press.

Adam later taught Native American studies at California State University, Hayward. In 1973, he traveled to Rome for a conference. He got off the plane wearing full tribal clothing and jokingly claimed Italy "by right of discovery," just as Columbus had claimed America. He was invited to meet Pope Paul VI. Instead of kissing the Pope's ring, he offered his own ringed hand. The Pope smiled and shook his hand.

Writing and Films

Adam Fortunate Eagle wrote "The Alcatraz Proclamation to the Great White Father and his People." This document explained that the occupiers wanted to create a center for Native American studies and a spiritual center. They also wanted an Indian center for ecology and a training school.

While the Alcatraz occupation seemed unsuccessful at first, it led to big changes. The government's policy of ending support for tribes stopped in 1971. A new policy of self-determination began, giving tribes more control over their own lives. Many people see the Alcatraz occupation as the start of the "Red Power" movement. His 2008 book, Heart of the Rock, tells the story of that important event.

Fortunate Eagle also provided the voice for Sitting Bull in the documentary Sitting Bull: A Stone in My Heart. There is also a documentary about his life called Contrary Warrior: The Life and Times of Adam Fortunate Eagle. He wrote a book about his experiences at an Indian boarding school called Pipestone: My Life in An Indian Boarding School.

He is the father of the poet nila northSun.

Later Life

Adam Nordwall received his Indian name, Fortunate Eagle, from a Crow Indian when he was 42 years old. He now lives on the Paiute-Shoshone Reservation, where his wife was born. He built a unique roundhouse using tires and other recycled materials.

In the 1980s, he won awards for his sculptures. He also creates ceremonial pipes and headdresses.