Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American actor and activist who turned down Marlon Brandos 1973 Academy Award for Best Actor on his behalf, died Sunday at 75, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences tweeted.
Littlefeather, who declined Brandos award for his role in The Godfather, famously spoke on stage about the film industrys treatment of Native Americans nearly 50 years ago.
Brandos boycott of the awards show was also a recognition of the Wounded Knee Occupation, where roughly 200 Oglala Lakota people, along with American Indian Movement members, took over a community in South Dakota.
Littlefeather, who declined to grab Brandos Oscar, was subject to boos and criticism following her speech.
Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American civil rights activist who famously declined Marlon Brandos 1973 Best Actor Academy Award, dies at 75. pic.twitter.com/OlpsoItlCw
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littlefeather","slug":"sacheen-littlefeather","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/sacheen-littlefeather","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/sacheen-littlefeather","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/sacheen-littlefeather"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/sacheen-littlefeather"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American civil rights activist who famously declined Marlon Brandos 1973 Best Actor Academy Award, dies at 75. pic.twitter.com/OlpsoItlCw
The Academy (@TheAcademy) October 3, 2022
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Littlefeather was born to a Native American father, of Apache and Yaqui descent, and a mother of European descent.
Her activism work included her involvement with the United Bay Indian Council, a role as spokesperson of the National American Indian Council and her participation in the Occupation of Alcatraz .
She aspired to be an actor and played a number of roles in television and radio.
Littlefeather described the impact of her Academy Awards speech in the 2018 documentary Sacheen: Breaking the Silence.
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I was blacklisted or, you could say, redlisted. Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett and others didnt want me on their shows, she said. The doors were closed tight, never to reopen.
Littlefeather received an apology from the Academy in August . She said she was stunned by the gesture.
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I never thought Id live to see the day I would be hearing this, experiencing this, Littlefeather said. When I was at the podium in 1973, I stood there alone.
Littlefeather was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2018. She will be buried alongside her husband, Charles Koshiway, who died last year of blood cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter .
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