Unthanksgiving Day Sunrise Ritual - Alcatraz Island

This ritual has become a venerable Bay Area tradition.
Here's its Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unthanksgiving_Day.
Unthanksgiving Day (or Un-Thanksgiving Day) also known as The Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony, is an event held on the island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, in the United States of America, to honor the indigenous peoples of the Americas and promote their rights.[1] It coincides with a similar protest, the National Day of Mourning, held in Massachusetts. Held annually since 1975, the Alcatraz ceremony honors the protest event of 1969 where the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement (ARPM) occupied the island.[1] Currently the annual ceremony is organized by the International Indian Treaty Council and American Indian Contemporary Arts.[2]

The event is designed to commemorate the survival of Native American peoples following the settlement of Europeans in the Western Hemisphere, which led to enormous losses among Indians from disease, warfare and social disruption. Organizers want it to serve in contrast to the traditional American Thanksgiving story in which the Pilgrims amicably shared a meal with Native Americans.[3]

The ungodly hour has to do with the very long lines to take the ferry to Alcatraz. In recent years, those who came around 04:00 didn't get to participate in the ceremony.