Marie Louise Cruz

Marie Louise Cruz was born in Salinas, California, of Apache and Yaqui ancestry through her father. Active in the American Indian Movement (AIM), she participated in the historic 1969–1971 occupation of Alcatraz Island, adopting the name Sacheen Littlefeather and studying dramatic arts at Contra Costa College and the American Conservatory Theater.

On March 27, 1973, in one of the most famous moments in television history, 26-year-old Littlefeather took the stage at the 45th Academy Awards on behalf of Marlon Brando, who refused his Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather. Wearing a traditional buckskin dress, she calmly announced that Brando could not accept the award due to "the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry... and on television in movie re-runs, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee." Greeted by a mixture of boos and applause, with John Wayne reportedly restrained backstage by security guards, she faced blacklisting in Hollywood. In June 2022, fifty years later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued an official public apology to Littlefeather months before her death.