In 1973, Indigenous activist Sacheen Littlefeather refused Marlon Brando’s Oscar for The Godfather on his behalf, instead using the stage to highlight the mistreatment of her people in Hollywood.
Revisiting One of the Greatest Protests in Oscars History
The Oscars are typically a night filled with glitz and glamour, but sometimes a star will use their time in the spotlight to make impactful political statements. On the main stage, Leonardo DiCaprio has addressed climate change, Patricia Arquette the ongoing issue of equal pay, and Spike Lee the importance of voting, among other moments. And with millions tuning into the ceremony every year, that’s a lot of eyes and ears on your speech.
One of the most controversial and memorable political moments in Oscars history occurred back in 1973, when Marlon Brando won the best actor award for his performance in The Godfather. Instead of accepting his trophy, he used the moment as a form of protest. Brando enlisted Sacheen Littlefeather, an Indigenous (Apache and Yaqui) actor and activist, to appear on his behalf and to refuse his Oscar on-stage—a bold move that shocked the 85 million viewers at home as well as the audience. Brando and Littlefeather wanted to denounce Hollywood’s stereotypical depiction of Indigenous people in film and television, and the actor felt he could not accept the award until change happened within the industry.
Brando’s award was announced, and Littlefeather then ascended to the main stage wearing a fringed, buckskin dress adorned with beadwork (many traditional Apache dresses feature these details). She then politely declined the statuette from presenter Roger Moore. “I’m Apache and I’m representing Marlon Brando this evening, and he has asked me to tell you in a very long speech that I cannot share with you presently, because of time… [that] he very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award,” she said. “And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.” Littlefeather became the first person in the ceremony’s 45-year history to use the Oscars stage for such a statement.
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Christian Allaire
