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Academy Apologizes to Sacheen Littlefeather, Activist Who Declined Marlon Brando’s Oscar

The activist appeared at Marlon Brando’s behest, and was heckled and booed by the audience as she attempted to speak about the treatment of Native Americans in the media.

Half a century later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is formally apologizing to Native civil rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather for her treatment both during and after her infamous appearance at the 1973 Oscars. Littlefeather, of White Mountain Apache and Yaqui descent, appeared at the ceremony on Marlon Brando’s behalf, declining his Best Actor award for his performance in The Godfather. As she delivered a speech protesting the mistreatment of Native Americans, many in the audience booed and heckled her; actor John Wayne, in the wings, reportedly had to be restrained from rushing the stage. Littlefeather was essentially blacklisted from the industry after the evening. In a June 18 letter first reported Monday, former Academy President David Rubin told the now-75-year-old, “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.”