Academy apologises to Littlefeather 50 years after she turned down Marlon Brando's Godfather Oscar
Sacheen Littlefeather's stand at the Oscars came at a great cost, as Yasmin Bodalbhai reports
It has taken half a century for actor Sacheen Littlefeather to receive an apology, following one of most memorable moments in Oscars history.
The indigenous American civil rights activist took to the stage on behalf of screen legend Marlon Brando in 1973 to decline his Oscar for his role in The Godfather, at his request.
Littlefeather, then aged 26, refused the award before giving an impassioned 60-second speech about the stereotypes and mistreatment of Native Americans in the entertainment industry.
In the speech, she explained she "very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award" due to "the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry … and on television and movie reruns and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee."
The audience began heckling her as she went on to explain the reasons for the 1973 protest in the South Dakota town.
In the years since her iconic speech, the actress has been professionally boycotted, personally harassed and attacked.
On Monday, and nearly half-a-century after the incident, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences finally acknowledged that the actress, now 75, had experienced unjustified discrimination which detrimentally impacted her career.
The late Hollywood star, Brando, won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in The Godfather, in what became widely viewed as among his career's greatest performances.
He had planned to refuse to accept the Oscar and instead arranged Littlefeather to speak in his place.
She spoke to draw attention to criticism of the federal response to the Wounded Knee protest and wider movement calling for fair and equitable treatment of Native Americans.
The protesters had occupied the town of Wounded Knee for 71 days - choosing it for symbolic reasons, as it was the site of a 1890 American Indian Wars massacre that cost nearly three hundred Lakota peoples' lives.
Following its apology to Littlefeather, the Academy will be hosting an evening of “conversation, healing and performances” hosted by the activist and performer.
During the September 17 event, she will be reflecting on the impact of her speech at the 45th Academy Awards, the organisation tweeted.
The event will feature a formal apology over the decades of abuse she suffered within the industry following her Oscars appearance.
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