Adam Fortunate Eagle, Ojibwa

 

Perhaps best known for his leadership in the Alcatraz occupation of 1969-1971, and his "discovery" of Italy in 1973, Adam Fortunate Eagle has continued to be one of the most outspoken Native Americans in his generation.

Born in 1929 in Minnesota, Adam attended the Pipestone Indian Boarding School for several years, where he first learned about pipemaking. After his education, Adam moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where became more involved in Native American activism, and became famous with the Alcatraz occupation, which received international attention. He has written books about his life's experiences.

Later, Adam taught Native American sociology courses at California State University and worked as an exterminatory before moving to rural Nevada. Although Adam is a member of the Ojibwa Nation by birth, his name Fortunate Eagle was bestowed upon him by his adopted Crow family, and today he lives on the Shoshone-Paiute Reservation in Nevada with his wife, Bobbie.

He became the Keepers spiritual advisor in its early years, a position he retained for several years. He continues to make pipes and other pieces of art.