Sacheen Littlefeather left an indelible impression at the 1973 Academy Awards ceremony, when Marlon Brando chose her to publicly decline, on his behalf, the best actor Oscar he received for “The Godfather” and instead take the opportunity to call out Hollywood’s mistreatment of the United States’ Indigenous people. Littlefeather, who was 26 at the time, cut a regal figure — wearing moccasins and a tasseled dress, her long, dark hair parted and clipped with intricate beadwork.
Introducing herself as an Apache and president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee, Littlefeather looked out at the audience (which she later said was as White as a “sea of Clorox”) and delivered a short speech that was interrupted by scattered applause and boos. Some speculated that it was a kind of surrealist performance. Members of the media and Hollywood’s elite at the time derided Brando for the gesture. Others looked into Littlefeather’s background (she was born Marie Louise Cruz, in Salinas, Calif.), questioning her motives and accusing her of faking her identity.
She died Oct. 2 at the age of 75, not long after the Academy formally apologized for how she was treated and threw an event in her honor.
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