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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Turtle shells contain nerve endings and they can feel through their shell. Their shell is basically their ribs in fact.
Turtles are the only known animal on earth that forms a shell on the outside of its body through a fusion of modified ribs, vertebrae, and shoulder girdle bones.
woah that's extremely cool. makes sense they can feel it, i remember seeing a video a while back of either a galapagos or an aldabras tortoise getting scratches and pets on their shell and looking like they were absolutely digging it
The natural history museum down the road has a 120 year old galapagos tort and he loves a good shell scritch
That shit fascinates meβlike how the jaw evolved from a set of gill bones.
That's unreal! Awesome