Sacheen Littlefeather, an American actress, model, and civil rights activist for Native Americans, finally got what she deserved after her speech at the 1973 Oscars caused a huge scandal.
Littlefeather was Marlon Brando’s representative at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973. She picked up the Best Actor trophy for Brando’s work in The Godfather on his behalf.
Brando, who was expected to win, skipped the ceremony to protest how Native Americans are portrayed in Hollywood and to bring attention to the Wounded Knee conflict. Instead, the audience booed and cheered at her comments about Brando’s decision to not attend.
After giving her speech at the Oscars, she went to work in hospice care. She has also made movies about Native Americans and still works as a health and Native American rights activist.
In June 2022, the model was given an official apology from the Academy. It was to be given in full on September 17 at An Evening with Sacheen Littlefeather.
Sacheen Littlefeather’s Speech About the John Wayne Oscars Scandal in 1973
After the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences publicly apologized to Sacheen Littlefeather for how she was treated at the 1973 Oscars, John Wayne’s name started to be talked about a lot on Twitter.
Littlefeather, who was head of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee at the time, was dressed in traditional Apache clothing like a buckskin outfit and moccasins.
She gave a powerful speech in which she turned down the honor to support Brando’s protest against how Native Americans are portrayed in Hollywood. The move was also meant to bring attention to protests in South Dakota, where Native Americans were killed in 1890.
The performer replied that she was glad that her mistreatment was still being talked about nearly 50 years later. In a statement, she said, “This is just like a dream.
During Sacheen’s award speech, John Wayne, who is known for killing Native Americans in movies, tried to attack him.
The Academy Awards board said they were sorry to Littlefeather 49 years after the event.
It gives me a lot of hope to see how much has changed in the 50 years since I turned down the Oscar. Everyone who will perform tonight makes me very proud.
Littlefeather, who acted in movies like “The Laughing Policeman,” “The Trial of Billy Jack,” and “Johnny Firecloud,” has said that she was almost kicked out of the entertainment business because she turned down Brando’s Oscar. So, after her part in Shoot the Sun Down in 1978, the Native American activist did not play the same role in another TV show or movie.
John Wayne, whose stage name was often Duke, was an American actor who became famous as a Hollywood hero because of his leading roles in Western and war movies made during Hollywood’s Golden Age.
During his long and successful career, which went from the American New Wave to the silent era of the 1920s, he was in 179 movies and TV shows.
For 30 years, The Lowa Born was one of the most popular movies in theaters, and it starred a lot of famous people from Hollywood at the time. In 1999, the American Film Institute said that Wayne was one of the best male actors in old American movies.
What Did Sacheen Littlefeather and John Wayne Do Together?
On the night of the 1973 Academy Awards, John Wayne tried to fight Sacheen Littlefeather.
The Oscars ceremony and award speech can be especially interesting because they can be about or against some of the most important political events, activities, or concerns about keeping equal rights in society.
The actor said that John Wayne, who plays a cowboy, was upset by what she said. In many of his movies, he played a cowboy who often fought with Native people.
She told The Guardian in 2021 that while she was speaking, “he was coming toward me to forcefully pull me off the platform, and it took six security guards to stop him.”
What Happened at the Oscar Ceremony in 1973?
Littlefeather spoke briefly to the crowd and then told them that Brando couldn’t get the award because “The movie shows how American Indians are mistreated today.
The actress said that Brando asked for a long speech to tell her that she couldn’t get the kind award.
As the favorite to win, Brando is said to have decided to skip the event in protest of the ongoing siege of native rights protesters in the village of Wounded Knee.
He also didn’t like the way Native Americans were portrayed in American movies, which made him decide against them.