United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) will celebrate its founding 45 years ago with a celebratory reception on Sunday, March 8, from noon to 4 p.m. It will take place at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center (5011 Bernie Whitebear Way).
To commemorate and honor the historic takeover of Fort Lawton, UIATF is hosting a lunch to honor community members and the original founders.
At noon, there will be a commemorative march and blessing that honors the sacrifices to build Daybreak Star into one of the centers for Native life and culture in the Northwest.
Lunch will then be served at 2 p.m.
On the morning of March 8, 1970, Native American activists scaled the fences surrounding Fort Lawton, an Army base at Discovery Point. The fort was to be decommissioned, and the city intended to turn it into a park. After first trying to persuade the city and federal officials that the land should be returned to Native people, Bernie Whitebear and the UIATF took action.
Seven years later, Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center opened its doors.