John Trudell

John Trudell was an American Indian author poet actor musician and political activist He was the spokesperson for the United Indians of All Tribes takeover of Alcatraz beginning in 1969 broadcasting as Radio Free Alcatraz During most of the 1970s he served as the chairman of the American Indian Movement based in Minneapolis Minnesota After his pregnant wife three children and motherinlaw were killed in 1979 in a fire at the home of his parentsinlaw on the ShoshonePaiute Tribes Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada Trudell turned to writing music and film as a second career He acted in three films in the 1990s The documentary Trudell 2005 was made about him and his life as an activist and artist