Sacheen Littlefeather and the Oscar 'stunt' seen ‘round the world

Sacheen Littlefeather called the other day. We talk on a somewhat regular basis but it had been awhile since our last chat and she had been on my mind. February is coming to a close and this week’s Academy Awards presentation marks the 40th anniversary of what I will call “Sacheen Littlefeather Day.”

I was 2-years-old in 1973, the year Sacheen took the stage at the Academy Awards in lieu of actor Marlon Brando, who had won an Oscar for his role in “The Godfather.” Brando had asked her to refuse the Oscar on his behalf and deliver his 15-page speech denouncing the treatment of Native Americans by the television and film industry and expressing his solidarity with American Indian activists – members of the American Indian Movement – who were at that moment engaged in an armed battle with the Federal Bureau of Investigation at Wounded Knee.

She wasn’t allowed the time for such a long speech. She had to improvise on the spot. She ascended the stage, wearing her powwow dress. She gracefully put up a hand, waving away actor Roger Moore who attempted to give her the Oscar. She approached the microphone, introduced herself and offered Brando’s regrets for being unable to accept the “very generous award.” Her voice trembled slightly. Her head lifted, and chin up, she gazed out at the crowd. Some booed. Some cheered. She was hustled off the stage.

I had never heard of her until I watched the documentary “Reel Injun” soon after its 2009 release. I had lived my entire life oblivious to all of the pre-Oscar Academy Awards hoopla that saturates the entertainment media post-Super Bowl. I had no idea of the Top 10 Most Shocking Oscar Moments or top 25 Worst Oscar Moments or any of the similar countdowns of which Sacheen was the star of one numeral or other.

Seeing this clip from the documentary inspired me to look for more information about her. I was awed by the amount of courage it must have taken to face not only that crowd, but also the millions all over world watching on television. She had the opportunity and the courage to stand up before a worldwide audience and say (if I may paraphrase here), ‘You are treating us badly. You are misrepresenting us and that is wrong. It has got to stop.’

I perused newspaper clippings from the time. I read that she was a “B-movie actress,” a “puppet” and “not really an Indian.” She was “Mexican” and a “fraud.”

I noticed a common thread in all these articles – they were written by men and not a one of them had a direct quote from her. She had not been interviewed in a single one. Every attribution was “so and so said.” Well. I wanted to know what she would have said.

I did not know that she and I had a mutual friend. It was by chance that he and I spoke on the phone soon after I’d seen “Reel Injun.” I told him about seeing Sacheen in the movie and really wishing I could talk to her. I wanted to write the story that had not been written in 1973.

“Oh, I know Sash. I can ask if she’ll talk to you,” he said. He refused to say more.

I had nearly forgotten that conversion by the day the phone rang. The number was blocked but the voice on the line said, “I hear you want to talk to me. This is Sacheen Littlefeather.”

I arranged to meet her in person. I considered what a step talking to me was for her. She had been treated badly in the media. And subsequently, been treated badly by other Natives as well. She had more than her fair share of detractors. Even after all those years. Yet, she welcomed me into her home and spoke candidly about her life.

Sasheen’s dream of an acting career vanished 40 years ago, dashed against the rocks of that fateful Oscar appearance and the ensuing publicity. But just as AIM carried on, so did Sacheen, albeit more quietly.

Yet, every year, the Oscar countdown begins, leading up to “Sacheen Littlefeather Day.” She starts hearing her name on the television and seeing that 1973 Oscar night photo of herself in the paper. It’s mixed in among references to a streaker, the actress Sally Field exclaiming, “You really like me” and actor Jack Palance doing one-arm push-ups. To the mainstream media, she is but a blip on the screen, an image to illustrate a shocking moment in time. She is a face and a name to be trotted out to promote a Hollywood event.

When we spoke last week, she said, “Well, it’s begun. They’re after me again. People want to use my name to make a nickel. However, did you see Entertainment Weekly? They did a nice piece.”

Sacheen has been fighting breast cancer. She recently got the news that she was in remission. I remember speaking to her before her surgery more than a year ago. It was right before Thanksgiving and she was frightened. It was scarier than that Oscar night so many years ago, but like that night, it was an experience that would change her life. She’s endured months of radiation therapy and the ensuing burns. She held fast through the pain, weakness and nausea. Having survived, she’s channeled the experience into forming a support group for other women going through the treatment. They drive each other to appointments, help clean and cook for each other and provide the emotional support so desperately needed.

I remain in awe of Sacheen and her courage. When Oscar night comes, I will remember the image of her looking the world directly in the eye through that camera lens. She is a person, not a soundbite. It was her voice that chastised Hollywood for the ill portrayal of Native Americans and reminded the world that another battle was being fought at Wounded Knee. Sure, it was Brando’s idea. But it’s Sacheen Littlefeather and her speech the media reminds us of every year when they roll out that red carpet for the Hollywood elite.

“Reel Injun” is a Canadian film directed by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge and Jeremiah Hayes that explores the portrayal of Native Americans in film. It’s available on DVD and on Netflix.

Lisa Snell is the Owner/Publisher of the Native Times. She is a 1993 graduate of the University of Tulsa’s School of Communication and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She has owned the Native Times since Sept. 1, 2008.