In 1973, Littlefeather appeared on the Oscar gala stage for Marlon Brando.
Sacheen Littlefeather was 75 years old when he died. PDO
Activist and actor Sacheen Littlefeather has died on October 2nd. Littlefeather, a native of the United States, was 75 years old when he died.
His death was reported by the Washington Post.
According to a relative, Littlefeather died in 2018 of diagnosed breast cancer that had spread to the lungs.
It wasn’t until a couple of months ago, in August, that Littlefeather received an official apology from the Academy.
Fifty years ago, the actor was booed off the Oscar gala stage.
It all started when actor Marlon Brando refused to accept his Best Actor Oscar in 1973 Godfather– for his role in the film.
Brando’s view that the American film industry portrayed indigenous peoples in a misleading way influenced the decision.
Littlefeather, who refused to accept the prestigious film industry award, arrived at the Oscars on Brando’s behalf.
The then 26-year-old actor was slandered by the entertainment industry after giving an award speech. In his speech, he criticized the way the film industry treats Native Americans.
Littlefeather giving his speech at the Oscars in 1973. Courtesy Everett Collection
Littlefeather’s speech was the first political statement at the Oscars. It started the habit of taking a stand in award speeches. The custom still continues today.
50 years later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences acknowledged in a public letter to Littlefeather that he suffered unjustified and unjustified harassment.
– I never thought I would live to hear this, Littlefeather commented on the apology.
In the years after the Oscar gala, Littlefeather appeared in films, among other things The Trial of Billy Jack (1974), Johnny Firecloud (1975) and Counselor at Crime (1973) and in television roles.
However, according to Littlefeather, he was blacklisted from Hollywood and lost his membership in the Screen Actors Guild, SAG.
Littlefeather soon retired and studied holistic medicine at Antioch University, wrote health columns for a Kiowa newspaper, and taught traditional medicine in Tucson. He also established a registry of Native American performing artists and was promoting the inclusion of Native Americans in television and film.
Source: The Washington Post