Ed Castillo facts for kids

Edward D. Castillo is a Native American activist. He is from the Luiseño and Cahuilla tribes. He took part in the American Indian occupation of Alcatraz in 1969. He was also a professor and director of Native American Studies at Sonoma State University in California. Castillo wrote many important chapters for books about Native American history.

Early Life and Education

Edward Castillo was born in California in 1948. He grew up on a rancheria near San Jacinto. His parents were Edward and Betty Castillo. He has two brothers, Billy and Randy.

After high school, he went to the University of California, Riverside. He studied American frontier history. He also minored in Latin American studies. After graduating in 1969, Castillo worked at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He helped minority students there.

In the same year, he became an instructor at UCLA. This was for their new Native American Studies program. Edward Castillo has children named Suelumatra, Cassandra, and Andrew.

Taking Part in the Alcatraz Occupation

Joining the Protest

Castillo first got involved with the American Indian occupation of Alcatraz in 1969. Richard Oakes was a main organizer of the protest. Oakes gave a speech at UCLA in November 1969. He wanted more support for the protest. Oakes had given similar speeches at other universities.

Castillo was teaching a Native American studies class at UCLA. About two-thirds of his class decided to join the occupation. Castillo, who was 21 years old, also took leave from his job to join them.

Life on Alcatraz

When he arrived at Alcatraz, Castillo became an original member of the island council. Richard Oakes and other college students were also on this council. The council made decisions about everything happening on the island. Castillo also helped in the island's mail room.

Early in the occupation, Castillo was chosen as the security chief. But he soon left this difficult job. He faced threats from some of the other young men on the island.

Leaving the Island

Richard Oakes left the island after his daughter passed away. After this, Castillo noticed more disagreements among the people on the island. He felt that the original goals of the protest were changing. He believed some leaders were focusing more on money or politics.

After almost three months on Alcatraz, Castillo decided to return to UCLA. He went back to continue his teaching duties.

Later Life and Work

Edward Castillo is currently the director of the Native American studies program at Sonoma State University. He has worked on many books about the history of California Native American tribes.

Most of his scholarly work looks at the impact of Spanish colonization on Native Americans. This was during the 17th and 18th centuries. He coauthored a book called Indians, Franciscans, and Spanish Colonization: The Impact of the Mission System on California Indians. He wrote this book with Robert H. Jackson.

Castillo also wrote chapters for the Smithsonian Institution's Handbook of North American Indians. He contributed to the Encyclopedia of Native Americans in the 20th Century. He was the editor of Native American Perspectives on the Hispanic Colonization of Alta California and The Pomo, A Tribal History. He also wrote book reviews for historical journals. These included Indian Historian and American Indian Quarterly.