Activist Sacheen Littlefeather, who made news for rejecting an Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando in 1973, died on October 2 at the age of 75. The news was announced by American Film Institute , who had previously been battling breast cancer.
In 1973, Brando boycotted the Oscars to protest Hollywood 's portrayal of Indians and to raise awareness of the Wounded Knee River massacre. Littlefeather attended in his place, and as expected, Brando was the most popular, winning Best Actor for The Godfather. For the above reasons, Littlefeather refused to accept the Oscar on behalf of Brando. There were some boos from those present, and celebrities such as Clint Eastwood and Michael Caine later criticized Littlefeather for disrupting the ceremony in this way.
Decades later, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially apologizes to Littlefeather. In August, Littlefeather told THR she was "shocked" by the news. She added: "I never thought I would live to see that one day I would hear and experience this."
On September 17, the academy also hosted an event for the activist called "With Sachin." One Night in Littlefeather" special event. During the celebration, Littlefeather personally accepted the apology and talked about her activism and big moments at that year's Oscars. She also recorded and read the full text of Brando's Oscar acceptance speech, which was not completed due to time constraints at the 1973 ceremony.
Sachin did have a few roles in the '70s, in Counselor at Crime, Billy Jack's Trial, Winter's Eagle, Shot Down the Sun, and Indian Young Johnny Waiting for it to appear in the movie. She was essentially blacklisted due to the Oscar controversy, and her acting career ended immediately. In 2009, she appeared in the documentary "Indian Pictures", and in 2018, the documentary "Sacheen: Breaking the Silence" featuring her was released.
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