In 1973, a Native American activist named Sacheen Littlefeater, on behalf of Marlon Brando at the Oscars, announcing that he was boycotting and had declined the Oscar for Best Actor for “The Godfather”. She gave a short 1 minute talk (contents in the comments), politely lamenting the dismal portrayal of American Indians in Hollywood and respectfully asking that such stereotypes stop. For this, many in the audience booed and jeered. Aghast, the actor John Wayne had to be physically restrained by security from attacking her. Later in the ceremony, Rachael Welch said, “I hope the winner doesn’t have a cause”. In presenting this Oscar for best picture, Clint Eastwood he was “presenting it on behalf of all the cowboys shot in John Ford westerns over the years”. The co-host of the Oscar Ceremony, Michael Caine, denounced Brando outright. The speech was credited with bringing attention back to the Wounded Knee standoff, on which a media blackout had been imposed. Not everyone was dismissive, thankfully. Coretta Scott King called Littlefeather to thank her for the speech. Afterwards, When she visited Marlon Brando’s house after the Academy Awards, while they were talking, bullets were fired into his front door. She would later be Blacklisted by Hollywood and received various death threats. Littlefeather is still alive today, but she announced in March, 2021, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, and the cancer has metastasized to her lungs so her condition is terminal.