Image source: KTLA
On Monday morning, the world lost another treasure when Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather died aged 75.
The news was revealed on Monday when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences shared a message on Twitter.
The announcement
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts released a photo of the Apache and Yaqui actress on Monday, writing:
“Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American civil rights activist who famously declined Marlon Brando’s 1973 Best Actor Academy Award, has died at the age of 75.”
Littlefeather’s cause of death wasn’t immediately disclosed, but in January 2021 she shared via Facebook that she had metastatic breast cancer.
The death of the actress and activist came weeks after she finally received the long-awaited apology from the Academy Awards.
Read also: ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio passed away, aged 59
The 1973 Oscars
Almost half a century ago, Marlon Brando boycotted the ceremony as an act of protest against Hollywood’s negative image of Native Americans.
Littlefeather wore a buckskin dress and moccasins and gave a short speech on Brando’s behalf.
Many members of the audience mocked and mocked the speech, with only a few applauding it.
At this point, Littlefeather was still a budding actress with work in films such as “Winterhawk,” “Shoot the Sun Down,” and “The Trial of Billy Jack.”
The reception to the speech unfairly blocked her career, and she was quickly blacklisted by the film industry and shunned by the entertainment world.
Apology from the Academy
Sacheen Littlefeather finally received a long-awaited apology from the Academy in August.
The apology letter was written by Academy President David Rubin, who said the abuses suffered by the actress and activist were “unwarranted and unwarranted.”
The letter reads:
“The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost of your own career in our industry is irreparable.”
“For too long, the courage you have showed has been unacknowledged.”
“For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.”
Read also: Jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, 87, passes in his home in Chicago
Littlefeather’s response to the apology
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sacheen Littlefeather was “stunned” to receive a formal apology.
“I never thought I’d live to see the day I would be hearing this, experiencing this,” said Littlefeather.
“When I was at the podium in 1973, I stood there alone.”
After the Academy Awards incident, Littlefeather claimed she was discriminated against and personally attacked.
On Sunday, the Academy shared a quote from her that says:
“When I am gone, always be reminded that whenever you stand for your truth, you will be keeping my voice and the voices of our nations and our people alive.”
Sacheen Littlefeather’s family requested donations from the American Indian Child Resource Center in Oakland, California.
References:
Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American activist who decline Marlon Brando’s Oscar, dies at 75
Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American activist and actress, dead at 75
