2 Oscar winners have utilized their platform to make a statement, raise awareness, or promote activism by speaking on behalf of indigenous people.
1. Leonardo DiCaprio (2016) After five acting nominations, last year, Leonardo DiCaprio finally took home his first Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in The Revenant. It should come as no surprise that the environmental activist used his big speech to bring attention to the issue of climate change — and created the most-tweeted Oscars moment in the process:
Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.
We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this ... Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted.
Leonardo DiCaprio used his Oscars speech to address climate change. He urged the audience to “support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who’ll be affected by this”.
We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of under privileged people who will be most affected by this, for our children's children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed.
2 Marlon Brando (1973) When Marlon Brando won Best Actor for The Godfather, he caused a stir by sending Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather on stage in his place. She declined the award on Brando's behalf and explained that the actor had given her a long speech, which she was unable to share in its entirety:
He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award, and the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry, and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will, in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity.
I would have been here tonight to speak to you directly, but I felt that perhaps I could be of better use if I went to Wounded Knee to help forestall in whatever way I can the establishment of a peace which would be dishonorable as long as the rivers shall run and the grass shall grow.
I would hope that those who are listening would not look upon this as a rude intrusion, but as an earnest effort to focus attention on an issue that might very well determine whether or not this country has the right to say from this point forward we believe in the inalienable rights of all people to remain free and independent on lands that have supported their life beyond living memory.
Thank you for your kindness and your courtesy to Miss Littlefeather. Thank you and good night. By MARLON BRANDO
1. Leonardo DiCaprio (2016) After five acting nominations, last year, Leonardo DiCaprio finally took home his first Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in The Revenant. It should come as no surprise that the environmental activist used his big speech to bring attention to the issue of climate change — and created the most-tweeted Oscars moment in the process:
Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.
We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people out there who would be most affected by this ... Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take tonight for granted.
Leonardo DiCaprio used his Oscars speech to address climate change. He urged the audience to “support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of underprivileged people who’ll be affected by this”.
We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters or the big corporations, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world, for the billions and billions of under privileged people who will be most affected by this, for our children's children, and for those people out there whose voices have been drowned out by the politics of greed.
2 Marlon Brando (1973) When Marlon Brando won Best Actor for The Godfather, he caused a stir by sending Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather on stage in his place. She declined the award on Brando's behalf and explained that the actor had given her a long speech, which she was unable to share in its entirety:
He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award, and the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry, and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will, in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity.
I would have been here tonight to speak to you directly, but I felt that perhaps I could be of better use if I went to Wounded Knee to help forestall in whatever way I can the establishment of a peace which would be dishonorable as long as the rivers shall run and the grass shall grow.
I would hope that those who are listening would not look upon this as a rude intrusion, but as an earnest effort to focus attention on an issue that might very well determine whether or not this country has the right to say from this point forward we believe in the inalienable rights of all people to remain free and independent on lands that have supported their life beyond living memory.
Thank you for your kindness and your courtesy to Miss Littlefeather. Thank you and good night. By MARLON BRANDO
VIDEO
Fifty years after she was booed off the stage at the 1973 Academy Awards, Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather was honored by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences https://t.co/YXGtUPNYSY pic.twitter.com/mn3QDUmyVW
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 19, 2022
Responses to "2 Oscar speeches on Native Rights that rocked Hollywood"