Sacheen Littlefeather

2022 - 8 - 16

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Sacheen Littlefeather: Actor says John Wayne tried to remove her ... (The Independent)

Actor and activist rejected Marlon Brando's Oscar on his behalf at the 1973 ceremony, which apparently angered Wayne.

Littlefeather, who starred in films The Laughing Policeman, The Trial of Billy Jack and Johnny Firecloud, has previously stated that after rejecting Brando’s Oscar, she was essentially blacklisted from the entertainment industry. The gesture also intended to highlight the events at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, where a massacre of Native Americans took place in 1890, and where protests were ongoing. In response, the actor expressed her happiness in her mistreatment being acknowledged, nearly five full decades later.

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

Film academy apologizes to Littlefeather for 1973 Oscarsf (Los Angeles Times)

Sacheen Littlefeather went onto the Academy Awards stage on behalf of Marlon Brando to speak about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood.

Rubin called Littlefeather’s speech “a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity.” For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. The 1973 Oscars were held during the American Indian Movement’s two-month occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota.

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Image courtesy of "Anadolu Agency"

50 years on, Academy apologizes to Native American actress ... (Anadolu Agency)

Actress, activist Littlefeather receives apology for treatment during and after speech about portrayal of Native Americans on film - Anadolu Agency.

For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration," Rubin said. Native American activist and actress Sacheen Littlefeather (Apache/Yaqui/AZ) invites you to a special evening at the Academy Museum.— Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (@AcademyMuseum) Nearly 50 years later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apologized to Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather for her treatment at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973, when she spoke up for Indigenous rights on stage.

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Image courtesy of "Newsweek"

Who Is Sacheen Littlefeather? Oscars Controversy Explained (Newsweek)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has apologized to Native American actor Sacheen Littlefeather, almost 50 years after her appearance at the ...

The first Native American Indian woman, the first woman of color to ever make a statement at the Academy Awards, telling the truth about the way that it really is. "The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. "For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. In the documentary Sacheen: Breaking the Silence,she said she had been blacklisted by Hollywood as a result of her speech. That I had done something, that I was the first to make a statement, a political statement. She gave a passionate speech on his behalf but was met by a largely negative response from the audience.

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Image courtesy of "The Straits Times"

Academy apologises to indigenous star Sacheen Littlefeather for ... (The Straits Times)

Littlefeather was heckled at the Academy Awards in 1973 while explaining at Marlon Brando's behest why he could not accept his best actor Oscar for The ...

We wanted to confront them and contextualise them, throughout all of our core gallery spaces," Mr Bill Kramer, then the museum's director, told AFP ahead of its opening last year. "We need to keep our sense of humour about this at all times. "For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged.

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Image courtesy of "Economic Times"

American activist Sacheen Littlefeather receives long overdue ... (Economic Times)

Brando sent Littlefeather in his place to reject the Best Actor Award because of the blatant misrepresentation of Native Americans by the US film industry.

The Oscars 2022 in-person award show returned after two years of being silent due to the pandemic. He wanted to pull her off the stage himself during the speech and had to be restrained. The rejection speech was televised to 85 million people, after which some media claimed her to be Brando's mistress. She faced boos- and scanty cheers- from the audience. Littlefeather told BBC in 2020 that right after her speech, she had to flee the stage with two security guards. Littlefeather was 26 at the time and was heckled and shunned by the entertainment industry in the wake of her speech at the Awards.

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Image courtesy of "Sky News"

Oscars apologises to Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather ... (Sky News)

The head of the Oscars academy says Sacheen Littlefeather has shown courage despite decades of abuse - as she welcomes the apology as better late than ...

said Littlefeather in a statement published by the Academy. He later told US television he felt it was a "marvellous opportunity" to speak to tens of millions of people, as the "American Indian hasn't been able to have his voice heard anywhere in the history of the United States". In an open letter to the 75-year-old, he praised her courage and said the abuse she has suffered was "unwarranted and unjustified".

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Image courtesy of "Newsweek"

John Wayne Trends in Wake of Sacheen Littlefeather Oscars Apology (Newsweek)

Littlefeather claimed Wayne had to be held back by six security guards while trying to accost her on stage at the 1973 Oscars.

"The Academy essentially killed her career and was nearly assaulted by John Wayne for doing it," they wrote. Journalist and author Richard Newby was similarly scathing in his assessment of the incident, writing: "John Wayne will always be a punk and I don't think movie clips of him should be shown at the Oscars again. "Absolutely disgraceful and speaks to the arrogance of these people." Brando had hoped the protest would shine a light on the occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, which had begun a month earlier. Wayne wasn't the only star to express his disdain. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration."

Actress Sacheen Littlefeather receives formal apology from Oscars ... (Al Arabiya English)

The Oscars apologized to Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather 50 years after she suffered harassment and discrimination for.

During the time of her speech, the town was placed under a media blackout by the US Department of Justice. “When I was at the podium in 1973, I stood there alone.” and on television, in movie reruns, and also with happening at Wounded Knee.” “I was stunned. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.”

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Academy Awards apologises to Sacheen Littlefeather for Oscars ... (The Guardian)

Nearly 50 years after her speech on behalf of Marlon Brando about depiction of Native Americans, academy apologises for 'unwarranted and unjustified' ...

In 2021, Littlefeather told the Guardian that she arrived at the ceremony only a few minutes before Brando’s award was announced, and had been given an eight-page speech by Brando to read if he won. I went up there with the grace and the beauty and the courage and the humility of my people. The Oscars took place in March, and the occupation ended in May after agreement with federal authorities to disarm. However, the show’s director Howard Koch told her she could only have 60 seconds and so she improvised a speech instead. “I never thought I’d live to see the day,” she added. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable.

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Image courtesy of "The Scotsman"

Sacheen Littlefeather: Who is Sacheen Littlefeather, Native ... (The Scotsman)

In 1973, Sacheen Littlefeather was booed off stage when she gave a speech at the Academy Awards about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films ...

Rubin said: “For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. Nearly 50 years after Littlefeather stood up at the Academy Awards and was booed by some audience members for her speech on Native American depiction in films, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has apologised to her for what she experienced. Sacheen Littlefeather, wearing moccasins and a buckskin dress, took to the stage of the Academy Awards in 1973, becoming the first Native American woman to do so. However, she is perhaps best known for representing Marlon Brando at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973 where she spoke out against the stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans in the film industry. Almost 50 years after Littlefeather’s speech on behalf of Marlon Brando about Native American depiction in the film industry, the Academy has apologised for the ‘unwarranted’ abuse she experienced. In 1973, Sacheen Littlefeather was booed off stage when she gave a speech at the Academy Awards about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films while also refusing the best actor award given to Marlon Brando. Here’s what happened.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Academy apologizes to Native American woman who declined ... (The Washington Post)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apologized to Sacheen Littlefeather, who declined an Oscar on Marlon Brando's behalf and was ostracized in ...

“I could not and was not allowed to speak for myself,” she said. In an interview on “The Dick Cavett Show” several months later, Brando said he was embarrassed by how Littlefeather was treated. She was let in, but the show’s producer said she could not read the speech. “When I was at the podium in 1973, I stood there alone.” She introduced herself and explained why she was there. She said she was there as Brando’s representative. He specifically instructed her not to touch the statuette, she recalled. “The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. It was the first time a Native American woman had stood on the Oscars stage, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and her statement on behalf of Brando created shock waves. In 2020, it introduced diversity and inclusion standards that films must meet to qualify for a best picture nomination, following criticism that the Oscars were dominated by White actors and filmmakers. Despite the efforts, Hollywood continues to struggle with representation of women and ethnic minorities. The year was 1973.

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Image courtesy of "CBC.ca"

Sacheen Littlefeather gets apology for abuse after 1973 Oscars ... (CBC.ca)

Nearly 50 years after Sacheen Littlefeather stood on the Academy Awards stage on behalf of Marlon Brando to speak about the depiction of Indigenous people ...

For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration." "The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified," wrote Rubin. "The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. In making the announcement, the Academy Museum shared a letter sent June 18 to Littlefeather by David Rubin, then academy president, about the iconic Oscar moment.

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Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

An Oscars Apology for Sacheen Littlefeather, 50 Years After Brando ... (The New York Times)

The Apache activist and actress was booed onstage in 1973 after she refused the best actor award on Marlon Brando's behalf and criticized Hollywood for its ...

She said some audience members did the so-called “tomahawk chop” at her and that when she went to Mr. Brando’s house later, people shot at the doorway where she was standing. “When I went back to Marlon’s house, there was an incident with people shooting at me,” she said. “For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged,” Mr. Rubin wrote. Ms. Littlefeather said she had little information about how the night would work, but Mr. Brando had given her a speech to read if he won. She paused when a mix of boos and cheers erupted from the audience. As an editor at The Times, I’ve worked with many of them, and I can tell you these are thoughtful people who have dedicated themselves to one thing: helping you understand the world. The former president of the Academy, David Rubin, wrote in the apology to Ms. Littlefeather that the abuse she faced because of the speech was “unwarranted and unjustified.” When Ms. Littlefeather, then 26, spoke, some of the audience cheered her and others jeered. Our reporters produce hundreds of original articles every day, from places as far afield as Kyiv, London, Uvalde and Sacramento. These journalists travel widely to get as complete a picture as they can. “And I focused in on the mouths and the jaws that were dropping open in the audience, and there were quite a few,” she told the Academy. “But it was like looking into a sea of Clorox, you know, there were very few people of color in the audience.” They are committed to remaining curious, keeping an open mind and seeking out every voice. I’d like to encourage you to support journalism like this by becoming a subscriber.

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Image courtesy of "CBS News"

Academy apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather for abuse after 1973 ... (CBS News)

In 1973, Littlefeather represented Marlon Brando at the Oscars, declining his Best Actor award for "The Godfather."

"The Academy also wanted to right a wrong, and this was a wrong. And the fact that it took 50 years to figure that out, well, that's on their bad, but the fact that they are fixing it and that there is an Indigenous Alliance in the Academy is so important," said Kevin Frazier, of "Entertainment Tonight." Now, the Academy has issued an apology for the "unwarranted and unjustified" abuse she suffered that night and in the years and decades afterward.

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

Academy apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather for mistreatment over ... (NPR)

Motion Picture Academy officials have apologized to Sacheen Littlefeather for abuse she was subjected to when she declined an Academy Award on behalf of ...

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Image courtesy of "The Indian Express"

Explained: 50 years after her Oscars protest, why the Academy has ... (The Indian Express)

Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American activist and actor, was booed off stage at the Oscars in 1973, when she appeared on behalf of Marlon Brando, ...

Under the 1956 Relocation Act funding plan, more than half of the US’ Native American population had been urbanised and assimilated to varying degrees, according to official records. Ultimately, the AIM was disbanded in 1978. In the 19th century, many Native American communities were forcibly moved to reservations, often hundreds of miles away from their original homes. When European settlers first arrived in North America in the 15th century, the continent was occupied by Native American communities, each of which had their own distinct linguistic, cultural, social and economic traits. In 1934, the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) became law, recognising limited sovereignty for several tribes and making it mandatory for councils to be elected to run reservations. On May 8, the protestors surrendered after US officials promised to investigate their complaints. In an iconic 60-second speech — the first political statement ever made at the Oscars — Littlefeather said that Brando could not accept the award because of “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry”. By 1960, 61 Native American tribes had been ‘terminated’, according to minorityrights.org. In 1973, Littlefeather, then 26, became the first Native American woman to take the stage at the Academy Awards. Several people were seen using the ‘Tomahawk chop’ — a derogatory arm-waving gesture considered racist and dehumanising for Native American people. He wrote, “The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable.” Wearing a traditional buckskin dress, she appeared on behalf of Marlon Brando, who had won the best actor award for The Godfather.

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