A healer and activist, Sacheen Littlefeather was far more than her infamous Oscar moment
CBC
Sacheen Littlefeather dedicated her life to advocating for the rights and health of Indigenous people.
Her role as an activist started well before her infamous Academy Awards moment when, in 1973, she declined an Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando and used her 60-second speech to call out the mistreatment of Indigenous people.
And though she was shunned in Hollywood after that moment, she told Unreserved host Rosanna Deerchild in a September interview that she was "pushed in" — not out — toward more meaningful work.
"I see things as if I climbed the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and I'm looking down now to where I've been in life," Littlefeather said at the time.
"That has taught me quite a bit, looking from this viewpoint and realizing what all has happened throughout the years and cultivating, throughout the experiences of my life, a very positive attitude toward everything."
Littlefeather died Sunday, aged 75, due to breast cancer at her home in Marin County, Calif.
"Littlefeather dedicated her life to the health and wellness of Native people everywhere," the activist's family said in a statement. "She was known for her sense of humor, quick wit, and fierce advocacy for Native American and Indigenous communities."
In August, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences apologized for how Littlefeather's speech at the Oscars was received; her acting career came to an abrupt end, she faced discrimination and was threatened by actor John Wayne. In mid-September, the academy held an event co-programmed by Littlefeather in her honour.
In the years that followed that speech, Littlefeather raised awareness of the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples, whether it be how they are portrayed on screen or cared for in illness.
"I did a lot of work in my community, in my Native American Indian community, and had since I was on Alcatraz Island way back when, in the beginning of the '70s," she said.
"[These are] things that people usually don't know about."
In late 1969, dozens of Indigenous activists, led by Richard Oakes, had occupied Alcatraz Island. The occupation was also organized by the American Indian Movement. After the federal prison on the island was closed in 1963, Indigenous people wanted the land returned to them, with plans of creating a cultural centre and school there.
Littlefeather was a student, supported by grants and scholarships, at the time and couldn't dedicate herself fully to the cause, she recalled.
"I only got to go on Alcatraz as a weekend warrior, so to speak," Littlefeather said in the September interview.
