Nearly 50 years after speech on behalf of Marlon Brando about depiction of Native Americans, Academy apologises for ‘unwarranted’ abuse she endured
ceremony was held during the American Indian Movement’s two-month occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
In making the announcement, the Academy Museum shared a letter sent to Littlefeather by David Rubin, the academy president, in June. Rubin called Littlefeather’s speech “a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity”. Littlefeather, in a statement, said it is “profoundly heartening to see how much has changed since I did not accept the Academy Award 50 years ago”.
At the Academy Museum event in Los Angeles, Littlefeather will sit for a conversation with producer Bird Runningwater, co-chair of the Academy’s Indigenous Alliance.