Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American actress and activist who made history when she turned down the Oscar for Best Actor on behalf of Marlon Brando, has died at the age of 75.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced her death Monday in a post shared on Twitter.
The tweet, accompanied by a picture of the Apache and Yaqui actress, read: “Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American civil rights activist who famously turned down Marlon Brando’s 1973 Academy Award for Best Actor, has died at age 75.
Although no cause of death was immediately given, Littlefeather announced on Facebook last January that her breast cancer had metastasized.
Littlefeather made history when she took the stage at the 1973 Academy Awards on behalf of The Godfather star Brando, who had decided to boycott the awards ceremony to protest the portrayal of Native Americans on the big screen. Brando also responded to the federal law enforcement response to the occupation of the South Dakota town of Wounded Knee by members of the American Indian Movement.
Her short speech, for which she donned a buckskin dress and moccasins, was met with a mixture of boos and applause. It cost the budding actress whose film credits included “Winterhawk,” “Shoot the Sun Down” and “The Trial of Billy Jack” her career as she was soon blacklisted by the film industry and shunned by the entertainment world.
In August, the Academy formally apologized to Littlefeather for the mistreatment she experienced during her speech and in the years that followed.
Native American Sacheen Littlefeather speaks at the 45th Academy Awards. On behalf of Marlon Brando, she turned down the best actor award he won for his role in The Godfather. Brando refused the award because of the way the Americans treated the Indian.
Sacheen Littlefeather reflects on her protest against Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans
In a letter to Littlefeather, former academy president David Rubin said the abuse she endured was “unwarranted and unwarranted”.
He added: “The emotional toll you have endured and the cost to your own career in our industry is irreparable. For too long the courage you have shown has gone unrecognized. For that, my deepest apologies and sincere admiration.”
Describing the apology as a “dream come true”, Littlefeather said: “We Indians are very patient people – it’s only been 50 years!
“We have to keep a sense of humor in this matter at all times. It’s our survival method,” she added.
Last month, the Academy held an event at its film museum in Los Angeles that featured Littlefeather as a keynote speaker along with other Indigenous artists.
