Native Americans commemorate occupation of Fort Lawton

On March 8, 1970, nearly 100 Native American activists clashed with military police in an attempt to reclaim for local tribes the recently decommissioned Fort Lawton military base. The late Bernie Whitebear led the non-violent takeover and occupation of the land, where he would go on to found Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in today’s Discovery Park. Each year, a procession, with drumbeat and ceremony, winds along Bernie Whitebear Way to commemorate the historic event. On the 49th anniversary of the occupation, Randy Lewis, of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, took part in the memorial walk and recalled events of the day he joined activists to descend on the fort.