Sacheen Littlefeather, activist known for rejecting an Oscar for Marlon Brando in 1973, passed away at 45 years in Novato, California.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the also actress revealed in 2018 that she had breast cancer and that the disease had metastasized.
Littlefeather, who was Apache and Yaqui, had small roles in films such as “Johnny Firecloud” and “Winterhawk”. However, she is best known for her activism on behalf of Native Americans.
During the delivery 45 of the Oscars, the American took the stage after Marlon Brando was announced as Best Actor winner for “The Godfather”. The actor had boycotted the ceremony, but sent the activist on his behalf to reject the award.
“He cannot accept such a generous award. The reasons are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television, and also with the recent events in (the town of) Wounded Knee. I pray I have not interfered in this evening and I hope that, in the future, our hearts and our points of view meet with love and generosity“, she said, before boos from a good part of the audience.
This June, the Hollywood Academy, which awards the Oscars, sent her a letter to apologize for the way she was treated during the ceremony .
“The mistreatment you experienced for giving this statement was undeserved and unjustifiable. The emotional toll he has lived through and the consequences it had for his own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long, the courage you showed has gone unrecognized. For this, we express our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration”, says the text signed by David Rubin, former president of the institution.
Just a few weeks ago, Littlefeather was honored at the Academy Museum of Arts in Los Angeles.