Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American actor and activist who declined Marlon Brando's Oscar, has died at the age of 75 after a battle with breast cancer.
The Academy of Motion Pictures announced her death in a tweet on Sunday, writing: "Sacheen Littlefeather, Native American civil rights activist who famously declined Marlon Brando’s 1973 Best Actor Academy Award, dies at 75."
In the tweet, the academy quoted her as saying: "When I am gone, always be reminded that whenever you stand for truth, you will be keeping my voice and the voices of our nations and our people alive. I remain Sacheen Littlefeather. Thank you."
Per The Hollywood Reporter, a statement from her caretaker revealed that she had died at noon on Sunday at her home in Novato, Northern California, surrounded by her loved ones.
On March 27, 1973, Littlefeather - then aged 26 - was responsible for one of the most dramatic moments in Academy Awards history when she refused the Oscar that Brando, who was not present at the ceremony, had just won.
When Brando's name was called out as the best actor winner for his role in The Godfather, Littlefeather took to the stage in her buckskin dress and, on behalf of Brando, declined to accept the award because of Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans.
"[Brando] very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award," Littlefeather said during her speech. "The reasons for this being the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television."
Littlefeather was subsequently booed and harassed for her activism. And in 2021, she told The Guardian that actor John Wayne had tried to "forcibly" take her off the stage and that he "had to be restrained by six security men to prevent him from doing so."
She also told the UK-based paper that people began imitating stereotypical Native American war cries and made racially insensitive hand gestures when she went backstage.
Earlier this year, the Academy officially apologized to Littlefeather for the abuse she endured after declining Brando's award nearly 50 years ago.
The Academy said in its statement: "The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable.
"For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration."
Littlefeather referred to the apology as a "dream come true".
"It is profoundly heartening to see how much has changed since I did not accept the Academy Award 50 years ago," she said.
In 2018, Littlefeather revealed she was battling stage four breast cancer, which had evolved from a previous diagnosis that she had been in remission from since 2012.
She said in her interview with The Guardian that her cancer had metastasised to her right lung, and that her illness was now terminal.
