Her sisters have now come out and denounced her claims of indigeneity in an interview quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle opinion column. 8:51 AM EDT, Sat November 5, 2022. Until this day on Native Trailblazers radio. [34], In an opinion piece following her death, Navajo writer and activist Jacqueline Keeler wrote that Littlefeather's sisters disputed that their father had been abusive and that Littlefeather's account of her childhood seemed to have been taken from that of her father, who had grown up in poverty and whose own father was abusive. Image of Sacheen Littlefeather standing before an Oscar statue holding Marlon Brando's statement at the 45th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, 1973. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sacheen_Littlefeather&oldid=1151541208, This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 17:55. "[77] When Clint Eastwood began presenting the Best Picture award, he joked, "I don't know if I should present this award on behalf of all the cowboys shot in all the John Ford Westerns over the years. [80], After giving the speech, Littlefeather spent two days in Los Angeles before returning to San Francisco. She only had 60 seconds and was not able to read her entire speech. By her early 20s Littlefeather was working as public service director at a San Francisco radio station, and head of the local affirmative action committee for Native Americans, studying representation in film, television and sports (they successfully campaigned for Stanford University to remove their offensive Indian sports team symbol). Afterward people questioned my authenticity, they said I wasnt even Indian. I just thought that it was about a man who had a very difficult relationship with women. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona told The New York Times that neither Littlefeather nor her parents were enrolled in the tribe, but that does not mean that we could independently confirm that she is not of Yaqui ancestry generally, from Mexico or the Southwestern United States., Of her efforts to identify Pretendians, Keeler told CNN, This is not about people who are genuinely trying to reconnect with Native relatives. I didnt use my fist [she clenches her fist]. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity. If youre lazy, you need not apply for cancer.. In fact, Brando prepared an eight-page speech for Littlefeather to deliver and instructed her not to touch the Oscar. She lives in San Francisco. Copyright 2001-Present. [41] A year later in October 1973, due to her Academy Award appearance fame, they ran the photographs of Littlefeather as a stand-alone feature. There have been Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and many others, but the most famous Oscar speech in history belongs to Marie Cruz, known as Sacheen Littlefeather (and generally referred to by the latter name in media accounts), an actress and Native American activist. I stayed up in the tree and I cried myself to sleep., Littlefeather was between two worlds. Hello. She's a friend of mine that I introduced to B She's an Indian princess. But in a timed 60-second acceptance speech for Marlon Brando's Godfather Oscar, she quickly rose to fame with a legendary speech about how Native Americans are treated in Hollywood. Maybe that was why he was such a great actor because he worked it out in his acting. You directed Marlon Brando in The Godfather. She asked him for Brandos address. We knew no Native would do that. Debunking a Hollywood myth", "John Wayne and the Six Security Men: An Investigation", "Clint Eastwood Faces Online Scrutiny for 1973 Academy Awards Comment", "Catching up with Sacheen Littlefeather, 40 years after her controversial brush with Oscar history", "Yoko Ono, Sacheen Littlefeather deliver Summer TV Tour into the past", "Sacheen Littlefeather recounts blacklisting, assassination attempts", "Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian", "Meet the woman who refused Marlon Brando's Oscar and inspired Jada Pinkett Smith's boycott", "Academy Apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather for Her Mistreatment at the 1973 Oscars (Exclusive)", "Academy Issues Formal Apology to Sacheen Littlefeather for 1973 Oscars: 'I Never Thought I'd Live to See the Day', "A teary John Travolta couldn't distract from Oscars' In Memoriam's missing big names", "38th Annual American Indian Film Festival Awards Ceremony", "NVTV-38th Annual-American Indian Film Festival Award Ceremony 2013", "Medium Rare Looks Inside the Indian Theater", "Dance in America: A Song for Dead Warriors", "Letter made Mandela aware of Indians' plight", "Letting the Indian Go: The Evolution of the Tam Mascot", "Marin resident embarks on American Indian oral history project", "Trustees vote to retain Braves name for Tomales High mascot", "Welcome to the San Francisco Kateri Circle", "The Indian Way: Traditional Indian medicine joins science in the hospital", "St. Mary's to sponsor conference on traditional Indian medicine", "A partnership of a Catholic faith-based health system, nursing and traditional American Indian medicine practitioners", "Indian activist optimistic: Littlefeather says 'Wolves' has helped", "Mother Teresa Is Dead / The Bay Area was close to her heart", "First Lady Joins Memorial by Allen White", "Indian Philosopher's Words Will Come to Life in Play", "Films still stereotype Indians, actor says", "Experience An Historic Celebration The Americas Before Columbus", "Sacheen Littlefeather-Declaration to SD Attorney General's Office", "A Letter to Marlon Brando About Putting an Indian on the Oscar Stage", "Sacheen Littlefeather, who declined Brando's Oscar, dies at 75", "Publicity was not my reason for doing it", "Sacheen Littlefeather, Who Rejected Oscar for Marlon Brando, Has Stage 4 Cancer", "Sacheen Littlefeather, Who Delivered Marlon Brando's Oscar Rejection Speech, Dies at 75", "Sacheen Littlefeather, Activist Who Took the Stage to Decline Marlon Brando's Oscar, Dies at 75", "Sacheen Littlefeather and the Question of Native Identity", "Brando was a rebel in the movies, a character in life", "Oscars' other scandal: The Academy really doesn't want to talk about Sacheen Littlefeather", "The strange, sad tale of Sacheen Littlefeather: Did icon fake a Native American identity? 'I promised Brando I would not touch his Oscar': the secret life of Sacheen Littlefeather Steve Rose In 1973, she made history at the Academy Awards, appearing in place of Marlon Brando,. [100] As the director of the First Nation Education Resource Center in San Francisco, Littlefeather commented on a letter from two American Indians in Oakland that was handed to Nelson Mandela, stating that the letter outlined problems facing American Indians, including healthcare and unemployment. The actress' passing was announced on Sunday, Oct. 2, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences via Twitter. Wasting our time and money and intruding in our homes. Book/CDs by Michael E. Eidenmuller, Published by It was not a performance, it was a real presentation, she says. By Rebecca Sun. I had no idea what that was. In her teens, Littlefeather had a breakdown and was hospitalised for a year. Wounded Knee. Today they are almost expected, but in 1973 it was radical. I think awards in this country at this time are inappropriate to be received or given until the condition of the American Indian is drastically altered. Im Apache, and I am president of the national Native American Affirmative Image Committee. Before long he was inviting her to visit. Brando was announced the Best Actor winner for his role in "The Godfather." Upon reaching the podium, Littlefeather declined the Oscar from Roger Moore and spoke: "Hello, my name is Sacheen Littlefeather. She added, "We need to keep our sense of humor about this at all times. They shouldve at least had the courtesy to listen to her. You have people who think that the only way that you can be considered an Indigenous person is if you grow up culturally within your tribe, he said. ", "Sacheen Littlefeather Once Cheered Cowboys", "Littlefeather discards Oscar memories, finds new dances", "I Believe television program: Father Harry Schlitt and Sacheen Littlefeather", "Alcatraz Miss Chosen as Top Female Vampire", "Official Ceremony Marks Opening Of Fair Tonight", "It's Oscar TimeDo You Know Where Sacheen Littlefeather Is? Im saying goodbye to you Ive earned the right to be my true self., For more information on the documentary Sacheen: Breaking the Silence, visit onebowlproductions.com/sacheen, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Did you encounter any technical issues? Littlefeather represented Marlon Brando at the 45th Academy Awards (better known as the Oscars) in 1973, where she on Brando's behalf declined the Best Actor award that he won for his performance in The Godfather. Russell Means contended that "Marlon Brando and Sacheen Littlefeather totally uplifted" the lives of those at Wounded Knee. [28] Later accounts describe Coppola as Littlefeather's neighbor in San Francisco. I think thats when I really became an activist. Her father chased after her. "[11], In January 1973, she appeared in "Make-up for Minority Women' and was identified as a professional model. CNN On its face, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' apology to Sacheen Littlefeather earlier this year appeared to be a long overdue righting of wrongs. Many people base their claims on family lore or the results of direct-to-consumer genetic ancestry tests. [56] Littlefeather also said that she met Brando in Washington, D.C., where she was presenting to the Federal Communications Commission about minorities. ", "She Crashed the Academy, Now Playboy Magazine", "Littlefeather and Girls-Make-Up for Minorities", "Native Daughter: Sacheen Littlefeather Helped Turn Things Around", "Sacheen Littlefeather, Marlon Brando's one-time Oscars accomplice, on how Hollywood has changed", "The unbelievable story of Why Marlon Brando rejected his 1973 Oscar for 'The Godfather', "43 years later, Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather reflects on rejecting Marlon Brando's Oscar", "Marlon Brando's Oscar win for "The Godfather", "How Roger Moore Assisted Sacheen Littlefeather In Her Blind Date With History", "Sacheen Littlefeather: Oscars apologises to actress after 50 years", "And The Award For Most Unusual Happening During An Oscar Presentation Goes To (breathless pause)", "scott's world: Best Oscar audience performance", "Column: Did John Wayne try to assault Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars? here for reprint permission. That same year she did a spread in Playboy magazine. In that account, he called the radio station where she worked months after she sent the letter. She stayed with him several times. Sacheen Littlefeather appeared at the Academy Awards in place of Oscar winner Marlon Brando because Brando would not accept his award for "The Godfather." . *Sacheen Littlefeather died aged 75 from breast cancer on October 2, 2022. There is a pattern that "pretendians" follow: They exploit peoples lack of knowledge about who American Indian people are by perpetuating ambiguity in a number of ways. and on television in movie re-runs, and also with recent happenings at [The people backstage] said theyd give me 60 seconds, or theyd arrest me. (The . [128], Littlefeather studied orthomolecular nutrition and later said that she had "wanted to see where all the 'white' food came from" so she went to Sweden and lived in Stockholm. [11] She said that the federal government encouraged the blacklisting to abate Native American activism after Wounded Knee. I really had a breakthrough, with other urban Indian people, getting back into our traditions, our heritage. [62][63][64] Koch recalled that he permitted her to stay and make her speech after she promised not to make a scene. I'm Apache, and I'm president of the National Native American . [55] In 2016, the 88th ceremony of the Academy Awards drew criticism for lack of diversity in nominations; actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who boycotted the ceremony, cited Littlefeather as inspiration to do so. So far, she hasnt seen any credible proof. In her speech, she spoke out against Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans. La Tray claimed that identity for himself even though he wasnt raised in a tribal community. In one of her first interviews after the speech, she mentioned that they met "through his interest in the Indian movement". Though she didn't receive the respect she deserved for the majority of her years, it goes without saying Littlefeather's legacy as an activist will live on forever. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. ], 2019 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Marlon Brando Academy Awards Acceptance Speech. (CNN has reached out to both tribes for comment and has been unable to independently verify whether any of Littlefeathers ancestors were enrolled in either tribe.). NPR. [15][16][17] After high school, she attended Hartnell Junior College and studied elementary education. I went up there like a warrior woman. In August 2022, The Academy apologized to Littlefeather for the backlash she received for taking away Brando's spotlight. There was a grove of trees. In fact, Cruz said her family didnt previously raise concerns about Littlefeathers claims because they assumed she wasnt hurting anybody.. [67] Littlefeather stated in 2022 that some people mockingly used the tomahawk chop towards her as she was led by. In 1973, she made history at the Academy Awards, appearing in place of Marlon Brando, declining his statuette and making a speech about Native American rights. And I had promised Koch that I would not go over 60 seconds. In her brief speech, she refused the Oscar for best actor on behalf of Marlon Brando, faced a mixture of. [125] Author Tommy Orange was commissioned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's Open Space platform to write a piece called "Dear Marlon Brando" as part of the magazine Alcatraz Is Not an Island, commemorating the 50th anniversary. Later that night, before she announced the Best Actress winner, Raquel Welch said, "I hope the winner doesn't have a cause. Actress: The Trial of Billy Jack. The letter, signed by Betty Cooper, director of the American Indian alcoholism program, and Sally Gallegos, director of the Consortium of United Indian Nations, was credited with Mandela's decision to meet with American Indian leaders in October 1990. Sacheen was in. Upon researching his family tree, he found that he was indeed connected to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana a tribe that was historically without a reservation and only received federal recognition in 2019. [106] Although St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center did receive an Achievement Citation from the Catholic Health Association of the United States in 1986 for Traditional Indian Medicine's Role in the Carondelet Health System,[107] an article about the award only mentions the initiator of the program, Apache nurse Belinda Acosta, and the program coordinator, Ann Hubbert. She has been speaking out ever since, Sacheen Littlefeather begins by announcing that this will be one of her last interviews: Im very, very ill. The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified, Rubin wrote. "[87] Many years later, Littlefeather said that King called her to thank her for the speech. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy invited her to Academy Museum, as a guest of honor. [121][122] In 2009, she gave testimony in the documentary Reel Injun about Native Americans in film. I didnt raise my voice. Littlefeather, born Mary Louise Cruz, was, like them, a Mexican-American, Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi allege. 9 talking about this. [4][5] Although some of Cruz's/Littlefeather's distant family may have been born in Pima/Oodham tribal territory in Sonora, Mexico, scholars have stated that actual tribal members in these communities would have been a minority during the time. So, when she heard Marlon Brando speaking about Native American rights, I wanted to know if he was for real. Littlefeather, who died on Oct. 3, gave her speech in place of Marlon Brando, who declined the award for Best Actor that year after playing Vito Corleone in The Godfather.. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- For 200 years we have said to the Indian people who are fighting for their land, their life, their families and their right to be free: ''Lay down your arms, my friends, and then we will . Sacheen Littlefeather says John Wayne is responsible for the 'most violent moment' in Oscars history. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images). Maria Louise Cruz [1] (November 14, 1946 - October 2, 2022), better known as Sacheen Littlefeather [2] [3] was an American actress, model, and activist for Native American civil rights who after her death was accused by family members and journalists of being a pretendian. The number of people who identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone and in combination with another race in the 2020 Census was 9.7 million, up from 5.2 million in 2010 Circe Sturm, an anthropology professor at the University of Texas, Austin, has theorized that at least part of that jump can be explained by people claiming a distant ancestor or the results of a genetic ancestry test. [] Harm is caused when resources and even jobs go to fakes instead of the people they were intended for. For example, we have our buffalo dances in the middle of the mass. It has helped her resolve her identity. Almost 50 years ago, 26-year-old Sacheen Littlefeather only had a few roles under her belt. [124] She participated in events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz, including serving as head pow wow judge. I would hope that those who are listening would not look upon this as a rude intrusion, but as an earnest effort to focus attention on an issue that might very well determine whether or not this country has the right to say from this point forward we believe in the inalienable rights of all people to remain free and independent on lands that have supported their life beyond living memory. It's our method of survival. When he was young, they didnt have therapy. According to Littlefeather, the institution was a "hell hole" and doctors used what she said was "psychodrama" role-playing her parents "while black-hooded figures listened in a dim-lit room" to help her "reconstruct memories of childhood abuse and abandonment. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. At The Comedy Awards in 2012, comedian Norm Macdonald staged a parody of the speech in accepting an award on behalf of Melissa McCarthy. [140] In a February 2023 letter, Littlefeather's sister Trudi Orlandi asked the Academy to remove the tribute from its museum gallery. The favorite to win, Brando boycotted the ceremony as a protest against Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans and to draw attention to the standoff at Wounded Knee. Vincent Schilling, Akwesasne Mohawk, is the founder and editor of Native Viewpoint. Even before Keelers op-ed, a statement on Littlefeathers website characterized the doubts about her heritage as misinformation, and stated that her father was from the White Mountain Apache and Yaqui tribes from Arizona.. [46] On March 6, 1973, she participated in a meeting between the Federal Communications Commission and members of several minority groups about the representation of minorities on television. I'm Apache and I am president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee. In a nutshell, what happened might be put down in two words: Sacheen Littlefeather. [59], Littlefeather died at her home in Novato, California, on October 2, 2022, at the age of 75. They also just blatantly lie. This is not an object; this is a human being. So I went to the priest and I told him God would never approve of this, and he called me heretic. [104] In the 1980s, she led prayer circles for Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American Catholic saint. Tribal nations are political entities that set their own terms for belonging, generally emphasizing kinship and engagement with the community. In 1973, for example, tempers flared backstage when Sacheen Littlefeather accepted Marlon Brando's best actor award for "The Godfather" with an overtly political speech decrying the depiction of . Youve probably heard someone say theyre part Cherokee.. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. (modern). With the support of its Indigenous Alliance an Academy member affinity group the Academy recognizes self-identification.. After all, before Europeans arrived on the continent, many tribes were more inclusive in their membership, granting citizenship to people who married into or were adopted by the tribe, outsiders who lived in tribal communities and those who assumed their cultural norms and practices. In her 60-second speech, she introduced herself as Apache and spoke out against Hollywoods treatment of Native Americans. This was when she took the stage at the 45th Academy Awards to speak on behalf of Marlon Brando, who had been awarded best actor for his performance in The Godfather. Thank you. "Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American civil rights activist who famously declined Marlon Brandos 1973 Best Actor Academy Award, dies at 75," the post reads. SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER: My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. On behalf of Marlon Brando, she refused the Best Actor award he was awarded for his role in Godfather. Green Matters is a registered trademark. [37][38][39] She worked at a radio station, KFRC, for about six months and did freelance reporting for PBS member station KQED. Pretendianism is particularly prevalent in entertainment, publishing and academia. And it was near dark. Its too individualistic, she said, and not reflective of Indigenous values. That stems partly from a deep misunderstanding of what it means to be Native, TallBear said. Ms. Orlandi pinned Littlefeathers claim of being Apache on a desire for prestige. [102][103] She criticized the use of an Indian-themed mascot at Tomales High in 2001. While some of those people are exaggerating or lying for economic or professional opportunities, plenty of them genuinely believe that they are Native American, said Kim TallBear, a professor of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. - Over the years, she became an icon, saying in interviews that she was White Mountain Apache and Yaqui, that she participated occupation of Alcatraz and that she was blacklisted by the film industry. Sacheen Littlefeather, who claimed to be Apache and whose 1973 speech at the Academy Awards denounced the treatment of Native Americans in Hollywood, faked her racial identity for decades, her sisters allege. [35][36], While living in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1970s, Littlefeather participated in the 1971 American Indian Festival at Foothill College, judged a local 1972 beauty pageant as "Princess Littlefeather", and organized a 1972 American Indian Festival at the Palace of Fine Arts. I went up there with the grace and the beauty and the courage and the humility of my people. They met in Arizona where mixed-race couples were still illegal so moved to Salinas, California, working as saddle-makers and leather-stampers. Sacheen Littlefeather is an Indigenous activist who is most famous for delivering the speech on Marlon Brando's behalf, turning down the Oscar he won for the Godfather. She went on to work in health and nutrition. I was so confused about my own identity, and I was suffering, she says. He said: I bet you dont know who this is. And I said: Sure I do. And he said: Well, who is it? I said: Its Marlon Brando. He had to be restrained by six security guards. I think thats what took people by surprise: that it was so real. Brando was announced the Best Actor winner for his role in The Godfather. Upon reaching the podium, Littlefeather declined the Oscar from Roger Moore and spoke: Hello, my name is Sacheen Littlefeather. Native American actor and activist faced backlash after making a speech at the 1973 Oscars I used to hike the hills of San Francisco every day, she says. Sacheen Littlefeather, Who Delivered Marlon Brando's Oscar Rejection Speech, Dies at 75 The Academy formally apologized to the Native American activist and former actress in June after she. stated via The Hollywood Reporter. [65], The Best Actor award was presented by Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann and British actor Roger Moore. I was embarrassed for Sacheen; she wasnt able to say what she intended to say. I beg at this time that I have not Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars. This is how I saved my life, by blending the two together. The problem is especially prevalent in academia just this week, a University of California Berkeley professor walked back her claims that she was a descendant of the Mohawk and Mikmaq Nations. [28] Later, though, Littlefeather said she was blacklisted by the Hollywood community and received threats. According to Entertainment Tonight, she passed away on Sunday, Oct. 2, in Novato, Calif. Littlefeather walked onto the stage and raised her hand to decline the Oscar trophy that Moore offered her. The Academy has apologised to Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American activist and actress booed off stage at the Oscars nearly 50 years ago.