Littlefeather apology strikes chord with Holland woman who attended 'Godfather' premiere

HOLLAND — When local resident Annie Olson heard the news on August 16 that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was formally apologizing to Sacheen Littlefeather, it felt like news nearly 50 years in the making.

Littlefeather was thrust into the public eye in 1973, when she represented actor Marlon Brando at the Oscars and, on his behalf, declined the Best Actor Award he'd won for his work in "The Godfather." Brando boycotted the ceremony in protest of the portrayal of Native Americans in Hollywood movies and to bring attention to the Wounded Knee Occupation.

While stories abound about what happened before and after the presentation, it's undisputed that Littlefeather was met with some applause — but mostly boos — as she took the stage and addressed the crowd.

And while the public is aware of Littlefeather, Olson’s story — a story with stark similarities to Littlefeather's — has largely gone untold.

For Olson, the story starts in Holland where she was born and raised. Born a fifth generation Dutch girl, Olson attended Methodist church with her grandparents, who felt she needed to understand the diversity that existed in the world.

“I’m one of those people who comes from a very conservative town that got very liberalized,” Olson said. “That’s a big part of who I am.”

Olson's identity also revolves around her connection to nature. Early in life, she felt that connection — referring to nature as her "other mother" and the trees, animals and rocks as her siblings.

It’s a connection that continued throughout her life.

When she was seven or eight, Olson experienced a defining moment of her childhood — a vision of a young Native American woman who was shot, fell off her horse and died.

It was the first of many connections Olson would have with Native Americans and their culture, and was instrumental in the work she’d do later in life.

At the age of 16, Olson rode in an airplane. It was another profound moment for her. Just two years later, she received her flying license. It was through flying and spending time at the local airport that she met Jim Thomas, a full-blood Tlingit Indian from Alaska, whom she’d end up marrying a few years later.

Jim had traveled to Holland from Yakutat, Alaska, and attended high school and college in the area.

Shortly after their marriage began, the couple moved back to Yakutat, where Olson was warmly accepted despite being white — and it was there she became a commercial salmon fisherman with Jim.

“Jim didn’t know how at home I was already going to be with his people,” Olson said. “His people became mine. I was adopted. My mother-in-law never resented me for being a full-blooded white woman and watering down the Tlingit blood.”

Olson’s life shifted when oil was discovered in Alaska. Soon, it seemed the federal government was controlling the land and taking most of the profit.

Olson and her husband became involved in the Alaska Native Land Claims and, in 1970, moved to Washington D.C. where Jim took over as PR Director for the National Congress of American Indians.

As time passed, Olson and her husband became more involved in Native American affairs and would soon connect with the Yakama Nation, a Washington state tribe working to get Mount Adams returned to them.

It was through this connection that Jim and Annie were introduced to Marlon Brando in 1971 and learned about his passion for social justice.

“Marlon was into a lot of environmental issues,” Olson said. “There were two sides to him and we got to see this serious, caring person.”

Their friendship grew. Soon after, "The Godfather" was released.

Brando knew the movie was going to generate a lot of publicity. For him, it served as a way to draw attention to Native American rights.

With that goal in mind, Brando asked Annie; Jim and his best friend, Doug Smith, whom he’d met at Hope College; and Robert (Bob) Jim, who was Yakama chairman at the time, to attend the film’s premiere.

“Brando offered it to Jim, asking Jim to go to the premiere for him,” Olson said. “He said, 'When you go there, I don’t want you to talk about it because your presence there will be enough. They know why you’re going to be there. It’s a protest about how (Native Americans) are represented.'”

On March 15, 1972, Annie, Jim, Doug and Bob attended the premiere, with Jim and Bob in full Native American regalia. They attended the premiere, Olson said, for the same reason Sacheen Littlefeather would attend and ultimately refuse the Oscar for Brando a year later.

It’s because of this connection Olson shed tears when she heard about the apology event nearly 50 years later, held Sept. 17, with Littlefeather the guest of honor.

Annie and Jim ultimately divorced in 1980. Annie moved back to Holland with her three children and attended Grand Valley State University a few years later. She graduated from GVSU in 1988.

Olson is remarried and still living in Holland, spending time with friends and family, including her children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She continued her work at promoting unity, equal opportunity, cross-cultural understanding and appreciation for diversity through her work with the Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony.

But her life took an unexpected turn in August, when the apology was announced.

While she and Jim had largely avoided the judgment of the public for attending the premiere in 1972, Olson knew the pain Littlefeather had endured and she knew and felt the pain of the Native American people.

Olson said she and Jim knew beforehand about Brando’s plan for the Oscars, how Littlefeather would reject the Oscar, and knew about the speech Littlefeather was supposed to read in place of Brando.

After hearing the news about the apology and the upcoming event, Olson sat down and penned a letter to The Academy — first expressing excitement and appreciation, but then going on to tell her story.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t contact you now,” Olson wrote. “Seems that maybe a formal apology is due Marlon himself, even though he’s been dead a long time. For making fun of him all these years for refusing the Oscar. His thinking now seems wise.

“You can’t apologize to Robert Jim either, because he died in 1973. But my ex-husband is still alive and so am I. We’ve carried this for 50 years now.”

In the apology — issued by David Rubin, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the organization touches on the pain Olson refers to.

“The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified,” Rubin wrote. “The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost of 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.”

At the formal event, Littlefeather accepted the apology with love and grace.

“I am here accepting this apology,” she said. “Not only for me alone, but as acknowledgment, knowing that it was not only for me, but for all of our nations that also need to hear and deserve this apology tonight.”

Olson attended the event in Los Angeles, and said the experience, hearing the apology read aloud and seeing Littlefeather in person, was emotional but was very much appreciated.

“It was so personal,” Olson said. “And I am so thankful that she (Littlefeather) is still alive to hear it."

Read more from Olson at essenceofthespiral.com.

— Austin Metz is a former Holland Sentinel reporter.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland woman shares her story of Academy apology to Littlefeather