Sacheen Littlefeather Receives Formal Apology from the Academy
Nearly fifty years after her historic moment at the 1973 Oscars, Sacheen Littlefeather is finally receiving an apology from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the abuse she suffered.
"As you stood on the Oscars stage in 1973 to not accept the Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando, in recognition of the misrepresentation and mistreatment of Native American people by the film industry, you made a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity,” then-Academy president David Rubin wrote in the apology letter, dated June 18, per the Hollywood Reporter.
He continued, "The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to 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."
The letter was privately presented to Littlefeather in June, and has been made public ahead of the news that a September event at the Academy Museum will honor Littlefeather. "I was stunned. I never thought I’d live to see the day I would be hearing this, experiencing this," Littlefeather told the Hollywood Reporter of the Academy’s apology. "When I was at the podium in 1973, I stood there alone."
Brando, up for best actor for his role in The Godfather, sent Littlefeather to the stage on his behalf to decline the award.
"Hello. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather, and I'm Apachee, and I'm president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee. 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,” Littlefeather said. "And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry—" At this point, the audience began to boo.
She continued, "Excuse me—and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee." (Littlefeather's mention of Wounded Knee refers to the occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota by the American Indian Movement.) She finished her speech, " 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. Thank you on behalf of Marlon Brando."
This short plea for justice and equal treatment resulted in "immediate and enduring personal backlash," per the Hollywood Reporter.
"I never stood up onstage in 1973 for any kind of accolades. I only stood there because my ancestors were with me, and I spoke the truth," she said this week. "Yes, there’s an apology that’s due. As my friends in the Native community said, it’s long overdue."
The statement of apology (see below) will be read, in full, at an event honoring Littlefeather at the Academy Museum on September 17, 2022.
June 18, 2022
Dear Sacheen Littlefeather,
I write to you today a letter that has been a long time coming on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with humble acknowledgment of your experience at the 45th Academy Awards.
As you stood on the Oscars stage in 1973 to not accept the Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando, in recognition of the misrepresentation and mistreatment of Native American people by the film industry, you made a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity.
The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to 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.
We cannot realize the Academy’s mission to “inspire imagination and connect the world through cinema” without a commitment to facilitating the broadest representation and inclusion reflective of our diverse global population.
Today, nearly 50 years later, and with the guidance of the Academy’s Indigenous Alliance, we are firm in our commitment to ensuring indigenous voices—the original storytellers—are visible, respected contributors to the global film community. We are dedicated to fostering a more inclusive, respectful industry that leverages a balance of art and activism to be a driving force for progress.
We hope you receive this letter in the spirit of reconciliation and as recognition of your essential role in our journey as an organization. You are forever respectfully engrained in our history.
With warmest regards, David Rubin
President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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