Before his death, Littlefeather had time to receive an apology for the racism he experienced at the 1973 Oscar gala.
The Washington Post, for example, tells about it.
Littlefeather was born Marie Louise Cruz on November 14, 1946 in Salinas, California.
His father belonged to the indigenous peoples of North America and his mother was a European-American, but he said that he grew up mostly with his mother’s parents.
Littlefeather became interested in his own roots while studying at Hayward College. He began working as an indigenous activist and took the name Sacheen Littlefeater.
In the 1970s, he was able to study at the American Conservatory Theater. After that, Littlefeather worked in radio productions and television commercials and worked as a model.
Thanks to public speaking
Littlefeather took the stage at the 1973 Academy Awards for Brando. Brando had won an Oscar for his role in the film, but did not want to accept the award, as he criticized the American film industry’s portrayal of Native Americans as distorted.
Brando hoped that Littlefeather would refuse the award for him at the gala and read a speech that Brando had written.
On live TV, during Littlefeather’s speech, he was interrupted by boos. The speech also caused applause, but Littlefeather himself later said that he had experienced racism at the gala.
An apology decades later
The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, apologized for the incident last June, 49 years after the incident.
The incident left a lasting mark on his career. He got very few acting jobs and believed this was due to his performance at the Oscars.
Later, Littlefeather worked, among other things, as a health consultant.
In recent years, Littlefeather has been in the public eye thanks to the documentary released in 2019. He has also gained visibility in several media.
