In 1973, Sacheen Littlefeather made history at the Academy Awards when she appeared in place of Marlon Brando, as part of his refusal to accept the award in support of Native American rights.
Declining to accept the award, Littlefeather went on to deliver a speech highlighting the treatment of Native Americans by the film industry and on television. But her main focus was the occupation of the Wounded Knee site in America.
Only 26 years old at the time she made the speech, she faced ridicule, abuse and allegedly escaped a physical attack by John Wayne.
Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas) has issued a formal apology to Littlefeather.
Ampas President David Rubin described her appearance as “a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity”.
“The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.”
