1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:05,199 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: show that raises the curtain on everyday history and lets 4 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: it take a bath. I'm Gabe Bluesier, and in this 5 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: episode we're talking about an Oscar night scandal that predates 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 1: the Streak, the Slap, and the Wrong Envelope. The day 7 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: was March twenty seventh, nineteen seventy three. Native American activist 8 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: Sasheen little Feather declined an Academy award on behalf of 9 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: Marlon Brando. When Brando's name was called as the winner 10 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: of that year's Best Actor Award, Little Feather took to 11 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: the stage in his place, explaining that the actor very 12 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: regretfully could not accept the honor as he was protesting 13 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: Hollywood's racist depictions of Native Americans and film. By refusing 14 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,839 Speaker 1: the Oscar Brando followed in the footsteps of fellow actor 15 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: George C. Scott, who had declined the same award the 16 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: year before for his title role in Patent. Unlike Brando, however, 17 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: Scott's refusal wasn't motivated by social concern. He simply didn't 18 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: like the idea of pitting actors against each other and 19 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: ranking their performances. Marlon Brando had no such qualms himself. 20 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: He earned his first Oscar nomination for his role in 21 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty one's A Streetcar Named Desire, and though he 22 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: didn't win the award that night, he did attend the ceremony. 23 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: It was the same story in nineteen fifty two and 24 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty three, with Brando being nominated and losing for 25 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: his performances in Viva Sapada and Julius Caesar. The actor 26 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: went on to win his first Oscar for his breakout 27 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 1: performance in nineteen fifty fours on the Waterfront, and that 28 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: time he graciously accepted the award in person. After that 29 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: high point, Brando's career took a major dive in the 30 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties. Stories about his tumultuous personal life turned off 31 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: audiences to his work and led to expensive flops like 32 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: One Eyed Jacks, which he also directed, and Mutiny on 33 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: the Bounty. To make matters worse, Brando had become notoriously 34 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 1: moody and demanding on set, alienating those he worked with, 35 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: and making producers think twice about hiring him again. By 36 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,519 Speaker 1: the early nineteen seventies, Brando was itching to make a comeback, 37 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: and he found the perfect vehicle for it in Francis 38 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: Ford Coppola's The Godfather. The young director had to fight 39 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: tooth and nail for permission to cast Brando as the 40 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: title character, and while the executives at Paramount eventually agreed, 41 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: they insisted that the actor take a pay cut and 42 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: shoot a screen test first. That humbling experience ultimately paid 43 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: off for Brando, as he went on to give one 44 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: of the most memorable and most acclaimed performances in movie history. 45 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: The Godfather resurrected his career, garnering some of the best 46 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: reviews he ever got and once again earning him an 47 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: Oscar nomination and eventual win for Best Actor. You might 48 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: imagine that after spending a decade in decline, Brando would 49 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: have relished the chance to return to the spotlight and 50 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: be honored by his peers on Hollywood's biggest night, But 51 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: as it turned out, he had much bigger concerns on 52 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: his mind. On the eve of the nineteen seventy three 53 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: Oscar ceremony, the actor announced that he would not be 54 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: attending the show and that he would send a proxy 55 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: in his place. Fellow actress and Native American activist Sasheen 56 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: Littlefeather Born Marie Louise Cruz in Selinas, California, the actress 57 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: claimed her indigenous heritage Apache and Yaqui through her father Manuel. 58 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: She began ian exploring her native identity during her college 59 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: years and later participated in the Native occupation of Alcatraz 60 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: Island in nineteen seventy. Around the same time, she adopted 61 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: the name Sashine Little Feather and learned more about Native 62 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: American customs from elders and other activists. Not long after, 63 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 1: Little Feather received a full scholarship to study acting at 64 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. She joined the 65 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,359 Speaker 1: Screen Actors Guild and booked several jobs on radio and 66 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: TV commercials, but she struggled to find consistent work in Hollywood. 67 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: As she later explained in an interview, quote, I got 68 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: a few jobs with Italian film crews because in those 69 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: days I was considered exotic, and that meant that you 70 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: didn't get employment very often. There was job discrimination, and 71 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: the movie industry basically looked like a Clorox factory. It 72 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: was so white it was ridiculous. The exact details of 73 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: how Little Feather and Brando met are a bit murky, 74 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 1: but most accounts agree that it was Francis Ford Coppola 75 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: who introduced them. Little Feather happened to live in the 76 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: director's neighborhood, and with his help, she was able to 77 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: send a letter to Brando, who had previously expressed support 78 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: for the Native American rights movement. The two went on 79 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: to exchange numerous letters and phone calls, and once they 80 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: got to know each other, they even met up in 81 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: person to discuss Native American issues. Brando had advocated for 82 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: a slew of social causes over the years, speaking out 83 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: in favor of civil rights, the Black Panther Party, and 84 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: the formation of a Jewish state in Israel. He was 85 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: even arrested in nineteen sixty four for protesting the denial 86 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: of tribal fishing rights in Washington State. It's no surprise, then, 87 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: that the actor shared Little Feather's concerns about Hollywood's shallow 88 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: portrayal of Native Americans, including their stereotypical depiction as savages 89 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: in Western movies and TV shows. Brando saw the film 90 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: industry's shoddy treatment as an extension of the larger injustices 91 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: that had plagued Native Americans for centuries, and at the 92 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 1: top of that list was the then ongoing conflict at 93 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: the South Dakota town of Wounded Knee. In eighteen ninety 94 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,119 Speaker 1: it had been the site of a massacre of Native 95 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: Americans by US government forces, and on February twenty seventh, 96 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy three, it was seized by members of the 97 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: American Indian Movement, kicking off a deadly seventy one day 98 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: standoff with US federal agents. The situation was at the 99 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: forefront of Brando's mind when he decided to use his 100 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: platform as a potential OSCAR winner to advocate for Native 101 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: American rights. That said, he didn't think it was his 102 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: place to deliver the message himself, so he asked his 103 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: friend and fellow activists to do it for him, and so. 104 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: On the evening of March twenty seventh, nineteen seventy three, 105 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: when Brando's name was announced as Best Actor, it was 106 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: Sasheen Little Feather who made her way to the stage, 107 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: plaid in a traditional Apache buckskin dress and a pair 108 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: of moccasins. She declined the award offered by presenter Roger 109 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: Moore and stepped up to the podium to deliver a 110 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: brief off the cuff statement, Take a listen. 111 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 2: Hello. My name is Sasheen little Feather. I'm APACHE, and 112 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 2: I am president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee. 113 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: I'm representing Marlon Brando this evening, and he has asked 114 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: me to tell you in a very long speech which 115 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 2: I cannot share with you presently because of time, but 116 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: I will be glad to share with the press afterwards, 117 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 2: that he very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award, 118 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: and the reasons for this being are the treatment of 119 00:07:55,040 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 2: American Indians today by the film industry, excuse me, and 120 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 2: on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings 121 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 2: that wounded me. I beg at this time that I 122 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:24,119 Speaker 2: have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will 123 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 2: in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet 124 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: with love and generosity. Thank you, on behalf of Marlon Brando. 125 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: The lengthy speech that Brando had written was published in 126 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: The New York Post the following day. It expounded on 127 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: the issues outlined by Little Feather and explained the actor 128 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: as rationale for boycotting the Oscars. The motion picture community, 129 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,719 Speaker 1: he wrote, has been as responsible as any for degrading 130 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: the Indian and making a mockery of his character, describing 131 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: him as savage, hostile, and evil. It's hard enough for 132 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: children to grow up in this world, but when Indian 133 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: children see their race depicted as they are in films, 134 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: their minds become injured in ways we can never know. 135 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: The actions of Brando and Little Feather drew criticism from 136 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: the public, the press, and from other celebrities, but they 137 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: succeeded in renewing the public's interest and wounded knee. Unfortunately, 138 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: most of the backlash was centered squarely on Little Feather. 139 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 1: In addition to being booed and jeered at the Oscars, 140 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: the actress was reportedly blacklisted in Hollywood, effectively killing her career. 141 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: It would take nearly half a century for that wrong 142 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: to be addressed, but it finally happened in June of 143 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts 144 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: and Sciences issued a formal apology to Little Feather in 145 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: an effort to make amends for the poor treatment she 146 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: had received at the ceremony. A special event was also 147 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: held in her honor at the Academy Museum that September. 148 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 1: The belated apology arrived just in the nick of time, 149 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 1: as only two weeks later, on October third, twenty twenty two, 150 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: Sasheen Little Feather passed away at the age of seventy five. 151 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: Following her death, long standing rumors about her Native American 152 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 1: heritage resurfaced. Little Feather's sisters, Rosalind Cruz and Trudy or 153 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: Landi claimed that their family has no tribal ancestry at all, 154 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: and that they're actually of Spanish Mexican descent. According to them, 155 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,559 Speaker 1: the Yaqui and Apache heritage that Little Feather had claimed 156 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: was based on a backstory they'd been told by their father, 157 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: one that wasn't necessarily supported by their lineage or by 158 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: any tribal records. Some people defended Little Feather, arguing that 159 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't her fault if she was given faulty information 160 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: by her father, while others were less forgiving, claiming that 161 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,839 Speaker 1: the actress had known the truth but chose to keep 162 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 1: up the ruse to gain attention. In the end, it's 163 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 1: for Native Americans to decide how to interpret Little Feathers 164 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,079 Speaker 1: heritage and how to feel about it. But no matter 165 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: where you land on the issue, it doesn't lessen the 166 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: truth of the message that she delivered. I'm Gabe blues Yay, 167 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: and hopefully you now know a little more about history 168 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. If you'd like to keep 169 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: up with the show, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, 170 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 1: and Instagram at TDI HC Show, and if you have 171 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: any comments or suggestions, feel free to send them my 172 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: way by writing to this Day at iHeartMedia dot com. 173 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: Thanks to Kazby Bias for producing the show, and thanks 174 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: to you for listening. I'll see you back here again 175 00:11:45,679 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: tomorrow for another day in History class.