Who is Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American actress the Academy apologized to?

Wearing a suede dress, moccasins and long black hair pulled up into two ponytails, on March 27, 1973 a young woman with a sweet voice took the stage of the 45th Academy Awards. Without haste or excitement, the stranger turns to the Hollywood audience: «Good evening. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. I am Apache and I chair the National Committee for the Affirmative Image of Native Americans. I represent Marlon Brando to this event… ». There was as much applause as there was booing. “It is with regret that (Marlon Brando) cannot accept this generous award, due to the way Native Americans are treated by the United States today. It is with regret that he cannot accept this very generous award, because of the way Native Americans are treated today by the film industry, on television and in film reruns, and because of the recent events of Wounded Knee. ” In the previous month, far from Hollywood concerns, Sioux and civil rights activists had occupied this South Dakota community to protest police crackdowns on their people. In a minute, this thorny issue was brought to the Oscars stage in the form of Sacheen Littlefeather.

This episode deprived the actress of a film career and earned her the wrath of the top of the Academy. Almost 50 years after the boos, insults and obstruction, the Academy has apologized to Sacheen Littlefather. She will also be the guest of honor at an event organized by the institution in honor of Native American culture on September 17, to celebrate the contribution of indigenous peoples to the Seventh Art.

Little bear, little feather

Reaction of the main interested party? At 75, the woman who has dedicated the rest of her life to civil commitment and medicine still masters the art of joke, without losing her lively humanity: “We Indians are very patient people – it’s only been 50 years! We have to keep our sense of humor, always. It is our method of survival ». Marie Louise Cruz, her real name, knows what she is talking about. Daughter of the Californian sun, she spent a childhood tossed between parents and grandparents and subjected to the violence of her father, from whom she takes her Apache and Yaqui origins. She soon moved to San Francisco to pursue her artistic studies, there she threw herself headlong into student activism.

True to her roots, she joined the Bay Area Indian Council. In 1969 you participated in the occupation of the island of Alcatraz, organized by some Native Americans of different tribes, with the aim of creating a center dedicated to their people. It is in this period that Maria Luisa Cruz becomes Sacheen (little bear) Littlefeather (little feather). Between beauty contests and radio broadcasts, she has participated in several art festivals organized by the natives. In 1973 she joined the SAG, there Screen Actors Guild, the trade union organization representing overseas audiovisual professionals. His filmography is limited to seven drama films, two of which are considered so minor that they are not credited. In 1973 he shot his first feature film, The Counselor, directed by Alberto de Martino. She later starred in Johnny Firecloud by William A. Castleman, a film about the condition of the Native Americans, and played a Navajo woman alongside Christopher Walken in Shoot at sunset in 1978. In the 2000s she returned to the camera, especially in documentary films.

Although her appearances have been rare, her commitment to portraying natives has brought her to the attention of film professionals. Her activism and his erudition attracted the attention of a certain Marlon Brando in the early seventies. The actor was at the height of his career after the triumph of Il Godfather. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for the role of Vito Corleone, he was a fervent advocate of civil rights and supported the demands of African Americans and Native Americans. To the point of boycotting an Oscar ceremony that probably would have made him king of Hollywood.

The messenger of Marlon Brando

Instead of profiting from the evening of glory, the actor chose to draw the attention of the big names of cinema to the fate of the Indians and the events of Wounded Knee. Sacheen Littlefeather, a civil rights activist with a traditional and distinctive figure, was the ideal person. The 27-year-old Native American was asked to convey the message to the Hollywood elite. In her hand, she was holding a multi-page speech that she will never unfold for lack of time. Backstage, she was warned: it will be 60 seconds, and not one more. The security service is on the lookout if it dares to cross the line. The rumors of the public are shared backstage. It is said that after the speech, John Wayne threatened to physically assault her.

Sacheen Littlefeather, on the other hand, has chosen to deliver to the media, during a press conference, the content of the long message written for her by Marlon Brando. The actor did not mince words: «We cheated (the Indians ed) by taking away their land. We starved them to sign fraudulent agreements which we call treaties and which we have never respected. Maybe right now you are thinking: “What does this have to do with the Oscars?”. I think the answer to these unspoken questions is that the film community has been as responsible as anyone else for degrading the Indian and mocking his character, portraying him as savage, hostile and evil, ”stated the fresh Oscar actor. As a result of the controversy, the Academy has banned anyone being able to delegate someone to delegate to receive awards. No, there won’t be another Sacheen Littlefather. However, she paved the way for actors to use the Oscars as a platform for making political speeches. At the time, the young actress suffered from her occasional role as a messenger: on several occasions, she expressed the belief that she was blacklisted by the Academy and its directors.