Lily Gladstone Gets Her ‘Flowers’

While there was an uproar of rage and sadness over the tragic snub of Margot Robbie for Best Actress, there was still an earthshaking nomination that could write a wrong half a century in the making.

At the 1973 Academy Awards, actor Marlon Brando declined his Oscar Best Actor for the film “The Godfather” to stand in solidarity with Native Americans who are mistreated in the entertainment industry. This short speech was so inflammatory to the audience that it was alleged that Western star John Wayne had to be held down by many men to stop him from assaulting Littlefeather. 

Now, 51 years later, we see a Native American woman be nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. In Martin Scorsese’s new film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Lily Gladstone provides a powerhouse performance as Mollie Kyle, soon Mollie Burkhart, a woman who lived through a string of murders in her tribe known as the Osage. This tribe was renounced back in the 1920s as their land had copious amounts of oil which made them wealthier beyond their wildest dreams. The catch sadly is that due to the policies of America back then, they were known as “incompetent” and required legal white court-appointed guardians to use and control the flow of their money. 

Gladstone is a revelation as she plays her role with expertise standing toe to toe with seasoned acting veterans such as Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Due to this, she won a Golden Globe and is nominated now for an Academy Award. Not only is this nomination an amazing representation of the Osage people, but also a massive achievement for the Native American community as they never have had a person nominated for an Oscar. 

The last time a Native American even reached the Oscar stage was when Sacheen Littlefeather gave her speech on behalf of Marlon Brando. In September 2022, Littlefeather was formally apologized to by the Academy of Motion Pictures for her treatment back at the 1973 Oscars. Sadly, one month later, Littlefeather passed away. 

With the race for Best Actress very close, it is hoped by many for Gladstone to win not just for herself, but also to represent an underrepresented group of people in Hollywood. I hope that the yearbook prediction for Gladstone comes true and that this will inspire more people of Native American descent to join the entertainment industry. 

Zipporah Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on X and Instagram: @zippzapps.

Edited by Nykeya Woods