[128], Littlefeather studied orthomolecular nutrition and later said that she had "wanted to see where all the 'white' food came from" so she went to Sweden and lived in Stockholm. And by any interpretation of history, however twisted, we did not do right. For all of their complications, tribal citizenship rules are continually evolving. Thats another fantasy, Ms. Orlandi explained to the Chronicle. I think thats what took people by surprise: that it was so real. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. Maria Louise Cruz[1] (November 14, 1946 October 2, 2022), better known as Sacheen Littlefeather[2][3] was an American actress, model, and activist for Native American civil rights who after her death was accused by family members and journalists of being a pretendian.[4][5][6][7]. I went up there like a warrior woman. Keeler said she is committed to exposing people who falsely claim to be Native because they cause harm to tribal communities. For them, we do not have to restore these people, we do not have to live up to some agreements, because it is given to us by virtue of our power to attack the rights of others, to take their property, to take their lives when they are trying to defend their land and liberty, and to make their virtues a crime and our own vices virtues. [55] In 2016, the 88th ceremony of the Academy Awards drew criticism for lack of diversity in nominations; actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who boycotted the ceremony, cited Littlefeather as inspiration to do so. [25] In 1970, as "Sacheen Littlefeather of Alcatraz", she was named Miss Vampire USA, a promotion for House of Dark Shadows. Since the late 19th century, there had been a concerted project in the US to make Indian people white, she explains, spearheaded by federal government and Christian schools for Native American children. The acceptance of my dominant cultures ways and my Indian ways together, living peacefully side by side., Now she is one of the elders transmitting knowledge down generations. But having a long-lost ancestor or Native American DNA isnt enough to claim affiliation with a particular tribe, she added. [4][5] Although some of Cruz's/Littlefeather's distant family may have been born in Pima/Oodham tribal territory in Sonora, Mexico, scholars have stated that actual tribal members in these communities would have been a minority during the time. ", "Sacheen Littlefeather Once Cheered Cowboys", "Littlefeather discards Oscar memories, finds new dances", "I Believe television program: Father Harry Schlitt and Sacheen Littlefeather", "Alcatraz Miss Chosen as Top Female Vampire", "Official Ceremony Marks Opening Of Fair Tonight", "It's Oscar TimeDo You Know Where Sacheen Littlefeather Is? Later that night, before she announced the Best Actress winner, Raquel Welch said, "I hope the winner doesn't have a cause. (The . (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images). [9], Over the years, Littlefeather described her personal experiences with serious health issues, including internal bleeding, collapsed lungs, and cancer. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. When the presenter, Roger Moore, attempts to hand Littlefeather Brandos Oscar she holds out her hand as if to push it away. That she danced in front of my father and always wore a feather in her hair, in her head? [9][106] In 1991, Littlefeather was reported to be recovering from radical cancer surgery. She was later in a 32 year long relationship with and married Charles Koshiway Johnston, who died in 2021. According to Littlefeather, the institution was a "hell hole" and doctors used what she said was "psychodrama" role-playing her parents "while black-hooded figures listened in a dim-lit room" to help her "reconstruct memories of childhood abuse and abandonment. The sisters father, Manuel Cruz, was born in Oxnard, California, to Mexican parents, Ms. Cruz and Ms. Orlandi say. We had our time together. I lived in an oxygen tent at the hospital, which kept me alive. She was raised by her maternal grandparents, but saw her parents regularly. [98][99], As a staff member of the American Indian Center, Littlefeather participated in a conference about American Indians in media at the Hotel San Franciscan in 1978. And even though she faced years of discrimination and harassment for decades, it was meaningful nonetheless. [121][122] In 2009, she gave testimony in the documentary Reel Injun about Native Americans in film. [54][55], In a 2021 interview, Littlefeather said that she got to know Coppola while hiking the hills of San Francisco and she got Brando's address from him. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. Its hard enough for children to grow up in this world. [69][70][71][72][73] This claim has since been disputed by film historian Farran Nehme and biographer Scott Eyman. Keeler concluded that while Littlefeather possibly had Indigenous ancestry, she wasnt connected to the White Mountain Apache or Pascua Yaqui tribes. I just thought that it was about a man who had a very difficult relationship with women. One of her neighbours was Francis Ford Coppola. [52] An account from the night of the Oscar ceremony describes Francis Ford Coppola observing Littlefeather on a TV monitor backstage and stating "Sacheen Littlefeather. Brando was announced the Best Actor winner for his role in "The Godfather." Upon reaching the podium, Littlefeather declined the Oscar from Roger Moore and spoke: "Hello, my name is Sacheen Littlefeather. Then-Academy president David Rubin expressed personal remorse over the backlash she received. The lawyer's letter claimed that Cruz was her married name. [28] Later accounts describe Coppola as Littlefeather's neighbor in San Francisco. March 30, 1973 'THE GODFATHER' That Unfinished Oscar Speech By MARLON BRANDO. [11] She played a role in the mascot change at Tamalpais High School in the late 1980s, first becoming involved when she visited the high school as a guest director for the drama class play, "Grandmother Earth". [42][117] Obituaries for Littlefeather's father and maternal grandmother do not mention a biological son in the family, only Littlefeather and her two younger sisters. Half an hour before her speech, she had been at Brandos house on Mulholland Drive waiting for him to finish typing an eight-page speech. Brando was announced the Best Actor winner for his role in The Godfather. Upon reaching the podium, Littlefeather declined the Oscar from Roger Moore and spoke: Hello, my name is Sacheen Littlefeather. Pretendians rarely can name any people they are related to in a Native community or in their family tree. [139] As the 50th anniversary of Littlefeathers appearance at the Oscars neared, her sisters reiterated that Littlefeather had faked a Native American identity for all that time. Its about what gives someone a claim to tribal belonging. [31] She characterized this as either being "adopted",[26] or in foster care. [4], In 1974, Littlefeather attended classes at the American Conservatory Theater, studying acting, yoga, fencing, Shakespeare, dancing, and other various skills for her acting career. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity. Many people base their claims on family lore or the results of direct-to-consumer genetic ancestry tests. [110][111][112], In 1988, she served as the secretary and community member-at-large on the interim board of directors of the American Indian AIDS Institute of San Francisco. In her 60-second speech, she introduced herself as Apache and spoke out against Hollywoods treatment of Native Americans. I couldnt get a job to save my life. Her father was Native American, a mix of Apache and Yaqui, and her mother was white. Keelers op-ed set off a wave of heated debate among Native Americans. [114][115] She campaigned against obesity, alcoholism, and diabetes, and specifically assisted Native Americans with AIDS. He was extremely intelligent, and always entertaining. transcribed directly from audio]. In other words, Keeler wrote, Littlefeather was a fraud a Pretendian who built a career and livelihood around a false identity. How Rutherford Falls, Rez Dogs and Mohawk Girls changed TV forever, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe applauds NY state ban on Native American mascots in schools, Sundance Institute Announces Native Lab Fellows for 2023, Exclusive video clip of Peter Pan & Wendy features Tiger Lily and Wendy, Twitter will be giving Native American accounts red verified badges, Video: Frybread Face and Me film interview with director Billy Luther and film actors, Grace Dove on her role as the MMIW investigative journalist Roz co-starring with Hilary Swank in ABCs Alaska Daily. It's our method of survival. At the time, many celebrities were expressing interest in Native American affairs, including Jane Fonda, Anthony Quinn and Burt Lancaster. Native American actor and activist faced backlash after making a speech at the 1973 Oscars After the Oscars, she believes she was blacklisted by Hollywood. [20], While she attended California State College at Hayward (now California State University, East Bay) and studied dramatics and speech, she continued to cultivate a Native American identity. He was able to share those real emotions with an audience. Maria Louise Cruz [1] (November 14, 1946 - October 2, 2022), better known as Sacheen Littlefeather [2] [3] was an American actress, model, and activist for Native American civil rights who after her death was accused by family members and journalists of being a pretendian. Littlefeather was not shocked, she says. [4][5] Furthermore, Cruz says Littlefeather fabricated a Native identity because she thought it was more "prestigious" to be Native American than to be Hispanic. I'm representing Marlon Brando this evening and he has asked me to tell you in a very long speech, which I cannot share with you presently because of time but I will be glad to share with the press afterwards, that he very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity. The statement was read in full on Sept. 17 at Academy Museum with Littlefeather and producer Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache/N.M.) stated via The Hollywood Reporter. "[77] When Clint Eastwood began presenting the Best Picture award, he joked, "I don't know if I should present this award on behalf of all the cowboys shot in all the John Ford Westerns over the years. He had to be restrained by six security guards. She added, "We need to keep our sense of humor about this at all times. share with the press afterwards, that he very regretfully cannot accept Samantha Vazquez, a wellness and prevention manager at Street Level Health Project in Oakland, California, addresses members of the Mayan Mam community about the importance of the 2020 census during an outdoors workshop in May 2020. The favorite to win, Brando boycotted the ceremony as a protest against Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans and to draw attention to the standoff at Wounded Knee. I stayed up in the tree and I cried myself to sleep., Littlefeather was between two worlds. [108] Littlefeather also described herself as one of the original teachers in St. Mary's Traditional Indian Medicine program,[9][109] which consisted of a series of conferences held between 1984 and 1990 and was coordinated by Comanche medicine man Edgar Monetathchi, Jr, who worked for the Indian Health Service and was the first medicine man to be employed full-time by a Catholic hospital. I think the answer to those unspoken questions is that the motion picture community has been as responsible as any for degrading the Indian and making a mockery of his character, describing his as savage, hostile and evil. [23] She learned more about Native American customs from elders and other protesters, like Adam Fortunate Eagle (then known as Adam Nordwall). Afterward people questioned my authenticity, they said I wasnt even Indian. [62] In other retellings of that night, Littlefeather said Koch told her that she had 60 seconds to deliver the speech or else she would be removed from the stage and arrested. The registry was founded in the early 1980s by Muscogee actor Will Sampson, who worked with the American Native Association to publish a directory of American Indians in the arts and entertainment fields. So far, she hasnt seen any credible proof. The letter, signed by Betty Cooper, director of the American Indian alcoholism program, and Sally Gallegos, director of the Consortium of United Indian Nations, was credited with Mandela's decision to meet with American Indian leaders in October 1990. Thank you on behalf of Marlon Brando.". Marlon Brando told Dick Cavett in 1973 that it was a marvelous opportunity for a statement by Native Americans. 2023 Cable News Network. [6] Gilio-Whitaker specified:[6]. What kind of moral schizophrenia is it that allows us to shout at the top of our national voice for all the world to hear that we live up to our commitment when every page of history and when all the thirsty, starving, humiliating days and nights of the last 100 years in the lives of the American Indian contradict that voice? Youre gonna be an American Indian princess. She appeared on live TV in 1973 to refuse an Oscar on . And soon afterward, writer Jacqueline Keeler called her entire legacy into question. ], 2019 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Marlon Brando Academy Awards Acceptance Speech. In a nutshell, what happened might be put down in two words: Sacheen Littlefeather. And if you aren't familiar with the Sacheen Littlefeather's speech that skyrocketed her to fame, now is a good time to look back at it. If youre lazy, you need not apply for cancer.. In 1973, she made history at the Academy Awards, appearing in place of Marlon Brando, declining his statuette and making a speech about Native American rights. Discovery Company. I could not tell the difference between me and my pain., Fortunately, in the late 1960s and early 70s Native Americans were beginning to reclaim their identities and reassert their rights. [137] The Pascua Yaqui Tribe stated neither Littlefeather nor her parents were enrolled tribal members. By 1949, they had moved to Salinas and opened up their own business, Cruz Saddlery. There are various reasons that someone with a legitimate link to a tribe might not be enrolled, many of which can be traced back to US policies that sought to erase Native Americans. [11] She said in a 2021 interview that the cancer had metastasized to her right lung and that she was terminal. Thank you on behalf of Marlon Brando., Littlefeather told the Los Angeles Times in 2016, Oh, I got threats. In fact, Cruz said her family didnt previously raise concerns about Littlefeathers claims because they assumed she wasnt hurting anybody.. [65], The Best Actor award was presented by Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann and British actor Roger Moore. [33] She said her mother and two sisters were subject to their father's rage and beatings. She recalls a time as a small child when she interrupted her father beating her mother by hitting him with a broom. [93][94] Contemporary accounts of the founding of the Red Earth Performing Arts Company by Nez Perce actor and playwright John Kauffman, Jr in 1974 do not mention Littlefeather. Russell Means contended that "Marlon Brando and Sacheen Littlefeather totally uplifted" the lives of those at Wounded Knee. [137], Roger Ebert had disputed Littlefeather's Native American ethnicity in 2004 in an obituary for Marlon Brando, stating that after her attendance at the Oscars she was "identified as Maria Cruz, an actress who was not an Indian".