Academy apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather for treatment when she refused Marlon Brando's Oscar in 1973
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apologized to the Native American activist and actor Sacheen Littlefeather, almost 50 years after she was met
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apologized to the Native American activist and actor Sacheen Littlefeather, almost 50 years after she was met with disrespect and harassment as she declined Marlon Brando’s Oscar.
In 1973, Littlefeather became the first person to make a political statement at the Oscars ceremony. When Brando was announced as the best actor winner for his role in “The Godfather,” Littlefeather took the stage to make a powerful and poignant statement about the depiction of Native Americans in the entertainment industry.
During her speech, Littlefeather was applauded and booed. She recently claimed in an interview with A.frame, the academy’s digital magazine, that John Wayne physically assaulted her and took her off the stage.
In June, David Rubin, the former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, issued an apology to Littlefeather for the way she was treated.
“I write to you today a letter that has been a long time coming on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with humble acknowledgment of your experience at the 45th Academy Awards,” said Rubin’s letter, which was published online Monday. “As you stood on the Oscars stage in 1973 to not accept the Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando, in recognition of the misrepresentation and mistreatment of Native American people by the film industry, you made a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity.
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