Business

Film Academy Apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather

NEW YORK — Nearly 50 years after Sacheen Littlefeather stood on the Academy Awards stage on behalf of Marlon Brando to speak about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences apologized to her for the abuse she endured.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Monday said that it will host Littlefeather, now 75, for an evening of “conversation, healing and celebration” on Sept. 17.

Brando was named best actor The GodfatherLittlefeather, in buckskin and moccasins, appeared on the Academy Awards stage. She was the first Native American woman to take the stage at the Academy Awards. In a 60-second speech, she explained that Brando could not accept the award due to “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.”

Learn more A new report reveals that the history of Native American board schools is even more complicated than it appears.

Some of the crowd booed her. John Wayne was backstage and was furious. The 1973 Oscars were held during the American Indian Movement’s two-month occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota. In the years since, Littlefeather has said she’s been mocked, discriminated against and personally attacked for her brief Academy Awards appearance.

The Academy Museum sent Littlefeather a June 18th letter by David Rubin (the academy president), about the Oscar moment. Rubin called Littlefeather’s speech “a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity.”

“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. The courage displayed by you has been overlooked for too long. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.”

Learn more These Afro-Latino actors are fighting against Hollywood’s exclusion.

Littlefeather, in a statement, said it is “profoundly heartening to see how much has changed since I did not accept the Academy Award 50 years ago.”

“Regarding the Academy’s apology to me, we Indians are very patient people—it’s only been 50 years!” said Littlefeather. “We need to keep our sense of humor about this at all times. It’s our method of survival.”

At the Academy Museum event in Los Angeles, Littlefeather will sit for a conversation with producer Bird Runningwater, co-chair of the academy’s Indigenous Alliance.

Littlefeather, who was a filmmaker scholar and also the director of Academy Museum, shared some thoughts with Jacqueline Stewart in a podcast this year.

“I felt that there should be Native people, Black people, Asian people, Chicano people—I felt there should be an inclusion of everyone,” said Littlefeather. “A rainbow of people that should be involved in creating their own image.”

Here are more must-read stories from TIME


Get in touchSend your letters to time@time.com

Tags

Related Articles

Back to top button