On March 8, 1970, about 100 members and sympathizers of United Indian People's Council (later United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, or UIATF) occupied Fort Lawton, a 1,100-acre army post in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood. They were inspired by the passage of a bill signed by President Richard Nixon, which granted non-federal entities the ability to obtain surplus federal lands for below market value. The Native group wanted to create a cultural center for Indigenous peoples, while the City of Seattle wanted to build a city park, on the recently decommissioned surplus lands of Fort Lawton. After long negotiations and Congressional intervention, the protest ultimately resulted in a solution permitting development of both an Indian cultural center and a municipal park--Discovery Park--on the Fort Lawton site. The Daybreak Star Cultural Center, run by United Indians of All Tribes, opened in 1977, and as of 2021, continues to serve as an "urban base for Native Americans in the Seattle Area," by providing cultural, educational, and social services to local Indigenous communities.

In this image Cecilia (John) White (1931-2001), left, and her husband George White (1919-1991), both Tlingit, chant a welcoming song to people turning out for a free salmon and buffalo meat dinner at the Daybreak Star Center in Discovery Park. The dinner was held in honor of the 15th anniversary of the demonstration that led to the founding of the center.

Caption information source: "Indians' victory song," by Pete McConnell, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 9, 1985, page 1.
Caption information source: "Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center opens its doors on May 13, 1977," by Antonia Kelleher, HistoryLink.org Essay 11237.
Caption information source: "Fort Lawton military police clash with Native American and other protesters in the future Discovery Park on March 8, 1970," by Patrick McRoberts and Kit Oldham, HistoryLink.org Essay 5513.