entertainment

Film academy apologizes to Littlefeather for 1973 Oscars abuse

26 Comments
By JAKE COYLE

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What is her connection to Marlon Brando ?

Why was she selected to make the statement she did?

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

A long time coming, but I guess better late than never.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

One of the many hard and uncomfortable truth that the "democratic and freedom lover"good old US has never wanted to accept..

16 ( +21 / -5 )

John Wayne, who was backstage at the time, was reportedly furious.

Brando in his support of Littlefeather obviously the much bigger man than Wayne.

20 ( +22 / -2 )

Tokyoliving

One of the many hard and uncomfortable truth....US has never wanted to accept..

Um, this article is about acceptance.

I'm with Ricky Gervais on this incidence: Hollywood stars, especially high school dropouts, are in no position to lecture the American public about anything. Just take your little award and promptly leave the stage, thank you.

-7 ( +10 / -17 )

The genocide of Native Americans shouldn’t be glossed over with bald eagles and lee greenwood.

11 ( +18 / -7 )

Brando definitely had the right intentions in mind.

14 ( +16 / -2 )

John Wayne, who was backstage at the time, was reportedly furious.

A guy (I wouldn't call him a man) that regularly and openly used the N word, was openly hostile to The people of the first Nations, was openly hostile to Asians, had segragation rules on his film sets including any western with actually First Nations actors and even on the set of "the Conqueror"where he dawned "yellow-face" to play Genghis Khan, he ordered that any actual Asians had to be kept separate.

I mean a guy whose great repertoire includes these beauties:

“I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility,”

And

“There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.”

Yep the guy was a racist and Hollywood loved him, the audience loved him so I guess a lot of people need to rethink their past views not just the Academy!

10 ( +17 / -7 )

In the plains were the Blackfoot, Kainai, Sarcee and Northern Peigan. In the northern woodlands were the Cree and Chipewyan. Around the Great Lakes were the Anishinaabe, Algonquin, Iroquois and Wyandot. Along the Atlantic coast were the Beothuk, Maliseet, Innu, Abenaki and Mi'kmaq.

12 million died in what is today the coterminous United States between 1492 and 1900.

Today there are tribes without any running water.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

The period of White Academy Awards, to alleviate the image of white people as the savior of mankind.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

A great book to read about Native Americans is “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Long overdue but the right thing to do.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

JeffLeeToday 08:56 am JST

Tokyoliving

> One of the many hard and uncomfortable truth....US has never wanted to accept..

> Um, this article is about acceptance.

> I'm with Ricky Gervais on this incidence: Hollywood stars, especially high school dropouts, are in no position to lecture the American public about anything. Just take your little award and promptly leave the stage, thank you.

What ''incidence" is that? A diploma is only worth the paper it's printed on, I'm told.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

dagonToday  08:37 am JST

John Wayne, who was backstage at the time, was reportedly furious.

Brando in his support of Littlefeather obviously the much bigger man than Wayne.

I remember 'Rooster Cogburn' where this ethnic Oriental/East Asian actor was acting/greeting the main character, calling him 'Reuben' and Wayne/rooster sneers 'Damn Chinaman!'. And that was supposed to be funny.

I also remember a press interview with a Native American star of the 1990 groundbreaking epic 'Dances With Wolves'. He explained that he needed to learn Sioux for his role, he is an Oneida who speaks Iroquois. When asked how he felt about the portrayal of Native Americans in most Hollywood films; he said, 'They're all crap!' The article said, 'He used stronger language'. I bet he did!!!!

Then a few years later Disney put out a 'romantic' animated fairy tale movie about Pocahantas. CRAP indeed!

Read the real history books, folks. Go to some museums, the truth is there.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

As a Canadian, I share the shame to what was done to Native Canadians as I share the shame to what was done Japanese Canadians during WWII. They can't be denied or covered-up and we need to acknowledge that to the victims.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Ayn Rand, hero of the reactionary far-right in the US was an enthusiastic supporter of the Native American genocide. In a speech to West Point graduates,

"Any white person who brings the elements of civilization had the right to take over this continent," Ayn Rand proclaimed, "and it is great that some people did, and discovered here what they couldn't do anywhere else in the world and what the Indians, if there are any racist Indians today, do not believe to this day: respect for individual rights."

In a logical sleight of hand that would even confound and bewilder even Lewis Carroll, Ayn Rand proclaimed in the 1974 Q&A that it was in fact indigenous Americans who were the racists, not the white settlers who were ethnically cleansing them. The laissez-faire leader declared that Native Americans did not "have any right to live in a country merely because they were born here and acted and lived like savages."

"Americans didn't conquer" this land, Rand asserted, and "you are a racist if you object to that." Since "the Indians did not have any property rights -- they didn't have the concept of property," she said, "they didn't have any rights to the land."

https://www.salon.com/2015/10/14/libertarian_superstar_ayn_rand_defended_genocide_of_savage_native_americans/

Times have changed since 1974 but her entire speech is truly astonishing. The saddest part is that her ideas are still prevalent today in the US government's foreign policy today.

Brando definitely had the right intentions in mind.

He also funded the Black Panthers.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Oh FFS. It was the right message in the wrong place and by the wrong person. Brando the actual actor at an acting awards show, could have done it himself and I’d have supported that (in retrospect being just a shade too young). But no, there was an all you can eat at the Golden Corral so he sent this poor woman in his place to catch hell.

And she got booed. Lordy, the SHAME!

My kids used to boo when I came home (they were teens then. I have less excuse now).

When some of us wonder how Governor helmet hair, who cannot even define what “woke-ism” is, can ride such a seemingly pointless issue to national prominence; THIS is how.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Since "the Indians did not have any property rights -- they didn't have the concept of property," she said, "they didn't have any rights to the land."

Yet many Americans feel the enshrining of property rights from aristocrat expropriation was a revolution.

Which was just subsequently exerted on outsider groups like Native Americans and Africans by the European settlers.

Wayne was a fake manly man Republican icon outclassed by Brando

5 ( +7 / -2 )

John Wayne, who was backstage at the time, was reportedly furious

It's no mystery that John Wayne was a giant POS by anyone's standard. He was a product of his time. I am not trying to justify it. I think he was garbage.

I also think he was ignorant. People at that time often were ignorant of the fact the views they held were racist and horrible. People figured out later on that tribalism and nationalism were divisive and horrible.

To paraphrase Doug Standhope on the subject, "Nationism is taking pride in something you did nothing to achieve and took no part in accomplishing"

I also want to point out the Brando was also no angel. Google that guy...

3 ( +4 / -1 )

BigYenAug. 16  07:47 pm JST

@Alfie Noakes:

Eye-opening post. I knew Ayn Rand was bad, but I didn’t know she was that bad.

She was a refugee from the Communist USSR. Just because somebody is opposed to Communism doesn't necessarily mean that person is good.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

LamillyToday  06:16 am JST

Ok so an apology, what's the punishment for the abuser?

The crap on the abuser(s) face(s) shows the shame and disgrace fully, in living color.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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