First modification: Last modification:
Almost 50 years after Sacheen Littlefeather, actress and Native American activist, renounced the Oscar for best actor on behalf of Marlon Brando to protest against the representation of indigenous peoples in the audiovisual world, Hollywood apologized for the repercussions that moment had. in her personal and professional life. It’s in history.
A 26-year-old girl walks onto the stage. It is the 1973 Oscar award ceremony and, between actors in suits and actresses in dresses of restrained extravagance, stands this woman dressed in traditional Apache clothing.
The first words through the microphone are these: “My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. I am an Apache and I chair the National Native American Committee for an Affirmative Image. I represent Marlon Brando and he has asked me to tell you…”
60 unpublished seconds follows for the Hollywood of the 70s. It is the first political speech that is delivered in its ceremonies, especially the first delivered by a woman, and it is not only heard by the audience: it is also heard by 85 million people through satellite television. It is the first time that an Oscar has been broadcast like this.
Among all these first times, Brando has won the Oscar for best actor for his performance in ‘The Godfather’ and Littlefeather explains that he has been commissioned to reject “this generous award” for “the treatment of Native Americans in the film industry” .
It is at that moment that the audience erupts in a confused sound, between applause and loud boos. Littlefeather interrupts them with a solemn “excuse me.”
“I know that, in the future, our hearts and ideas will meet with love and generosity.”
“The courage you showed has gone unrecognized”
That future has been almost 50 years in the making. And that has come. This Tuesday, August 16, the Hollywood Academy published a statement asking Littlefeather for forgiveness for what happened in that Oscar delivery, but also for what came after.
“The abuse you have endured for your statements has been undeserved and unwarranted. The emotional toll you have had to bear and the toll it has taken on your career in our industry is irreparable,” read a letter signed by Academy President David Rubin.
It continues: “For far too long, the courage you displayed has gone unrecognized. For this, we offer our deepest apologies and sincere admiration.”
Native American activist and actress Sacheen Littlefeather (Apache/Yaqui/AZ) invites you to a special evening at the Academy Museum.
More details in the thread below ⬇️
(Photo: © Globe Photos/ZUMA Press) pic.twitter.com/WrvebVrO5n
— Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (@AcademyMuseum) August 15, 2022
In addition to the letter, there will be an “afternoon with Sacheen Littlefeather” on September 17 at the Academy Museum, as a discussion to discuss indigenous and Native American representation in film and television.
In an interview with ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, Littlefeather spoke again: “Indigenous people are very patient people. It’s only been 50 years!” In addition, this now 75-year-old activist acknowledged that she “never thought the day would come” when she would receive an apology.
The rage of John Wayne, ‘cowboy’ behind the screens
Littlefeather’s famous speech was improvised. Marlon Brando had written eight pages that the actress had to read later to the press. Brando, who already had an Oscar, decided to reject the award that time and use the delivery, if he won, to denounce the audiovisual imaginary that he continued to punish Native Americans.
However, after that scandal, the actor did not suffer major repercussions. Instead, Littlefeather had to be escorted by security guards from the 1973 ceremony; she had to see how John Wayne, world icon of the ‘western’, had to be restrained so that he would not pounce on her.
Years later, it was impossible for him to find work. In an interview with ‘The Guardian’ from 2021, explained that John Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI, “had been telling people” not to hire her “because production would be shut down.” 7
Finally, after small roles, Littlefeather continued her activist path for the recognition of the rights of Native American peoples.
Hollywood racism is still up for debate
50 years after that event, the debate around discrimination in the Academy is more alive than ever and has deeper roots than Littlefeather’s story.
In 1939, Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American person to win an Oscar, but she had to sit at a segregated table in the back of the ceremony room.
In 1957, Miyoshi Umeki won the statuette for best supporting actress and was, until 2020, the only Asian person to win in this category.
Only five Latina women have been nominated for the best actress category; only one woman has won best direction and only one non-white woman has been considered best actress. And the list continues to this day.
With one safeguard: at least in recent years, political speech is no longer an exception at ceremonies, and more and more voices are reminding the Academy that the way its films draw the world, from an American-centric perspective , in men and in whites, is not the only one that exists and deserves to be awarded.
#Academy #apologizes #Native #American #actress #booed #Oscars