Sacheen Littlefeather, refusing the 1973 Best Actor Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando (The Godfather). Brando was protesting the entertainment industry’s depiction of Native Americans in film and television, as well as what were then the recent events at Wounded Knee.
I freely admit I know very little about either Littlefeather or the incident that prompted her appearance. I do know that she is extraordinarily beautiful and her speech (severely abbreviated from the 15 page letter Brando wanted her to read) was an elegant moment in what must have been a nerve-wracking situation. Watch her refusal here.
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