Oscars campaigner Sacheen Littlefeather has died at 75
Sacheen Littlefeather, who famously appeared at the Oscars in 1973 after Marlon Brando snubbed his Best Actor award and offered instead to give his time up to Littlefeather to make an emotive speech, has died at the age of 75.
Brando had famously written eight pages for Littlefeather to read, she had to abridge this given that she only had a short allotted time to get through her speech. “[Brando] very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award,” she began.
Continuing: “And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry – excuse me – and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee.”
Remarkably, this was met by boos from the audience and after her speech concluded, she was the victim of racist abuse and threats of arrest. At the time, there was a media blackout on the American Indian Movements occupation of Wounded Knee imposed by the US Department of Justice.
After almost 50 years, Littlefeather was granted a formal apology by the Academy a few months ago. “The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified,” Academy president David Rubin wrote to Littlefeather.
Adding: “The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.”
The leading campaigner passed away on Sunday (October 2nd). Breast cancer has been stated as the cause of death.
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