Sacheen Littlefeather

Sacheen Littlefeather

Marie Louise Cruz (born November 14, 1946), known as Sacheen Littlefeather, is an Apache actress and activist for Native American rights. On March 27, 1973, she represented Marlon Brando at the 45th Academy Awards to decline the Best Actor award for his performance in The Godfather. The favorite to win, Brando boycotted the ceremony in protest of Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans and to draw attention to the standoff at Wounded Knee. During her speech, the audience response to Brando's boycotting was divided between jeers and applause. She is White Mountain Apache and Yaqui, with a background in acting. During the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz she became active in the Native American activist community. After the Academy Award speech, she went on to work in hospice care. She continues to work in activism for a number of health-related and Native American issues, and has produced films about Native Americans.

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