Native American civil rights activist and actor, Sacheen Littlefeather who was known for famously declining Marlon Brando's Oscar for The Godfather, passed away at the age of 75, the Academy of Motion Pictures announced in a tweet on Sunday night, 2 October. As per reports, Littlefeather had been suffering from breast cancer.
Littlefeather's caretaker told Hollywood Reporter in a statement that she died at her Nothern California house in Novato at noon on 2 October, surrounded by her loved ones.
In 1973, Brando won the 'Best Actor' for Oscar for his performance in The Godfather; yet he chose to abstain from the ceremony in order to show his support for Native American rights. Littlefeather, then 26, attended the event on Brando's behalf. In a brief speech, she declined to accept the award and stated that Brando's refusal was partly motivated by "the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television in movie reruns."
The actor received a lot of flack following her speech and was reportedly blacklisted by Hollywood after the ceremony, as well.
In August, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a formal apology to Littlefeather for their treament of her.
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