As Bernie Whitebear (Sinixt/Colville) describes it, "The March 8, 1970 invasion and occupation of Fort Lawton, an active military base in the northwest section of Seattle, was an attempt by Seattle’s Native American community to establish a land base to serve the largest urban Native American population west of Tulsa and north of San Francisco." "Before the invasions and occupations, which lasted approximately three months, there were no Federal, State, County, or City funds available for services to Native Americans in Seattle. The only social services were provided by an organization of Indian women, operating from an old church, existing primarily on donations and volunteer help. The organization was the American Indian Women’s Service League." The occupation led to 20 acres being granted to United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and the construction of the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, which is still active today.

Suffering a shortage of food, the renegade chief Iŋkpáduta (Scarlet Point) led 14 Wahpekute against the settlements near Okoboji and Spirit lakes in the northwestern territory of Iowa near the Minnesota border, in revenge of the murder of Inkpaduta's brother, Sidominadotah, and Sidominadotah's family by Henry Lott, a drunken white whiskey trader. The lands had been recently 'opened' for settlement through the Traverse des Sioux treaty of 1851, but the US Government had failed to uphold its treaty promises, and thus Wahpekute and other Dakota peoples were leaving the reservation regularly in order to not starve to death. Iŋkpádutahimself and his band were left out of the treaty negotiations and thus did not recognize it. Although chased by troops from Fort Ridgely in Minnesota, Iŋkpádutaand his band evaded capture. He eventually fell in with the Lakotas (the Western or Teton Sioux) and became friends with Sitting Bull. He fought alongside the Lakota against Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn. When Sitting Bull and his followers fled to Canada following the battle, Iŋkpáduta accompanied them. He died in Manitoba in 1881 This act of resistance against the settlers who had stolen their land in order to feed their people is still demonized by some settlers today. We recognize it as Indigenous resistance.