Sacheen Littlefeather

Sacheen Cruz Littlefeather (born Marie Louise Cruz; November 14, 1946 – October 2, 2022) was an American actress, model and Native American civil rights activist. On March 27, 1973, she stood in for Marlon Brando at the 45th Academy Awards to turn down the Best Actor award for his performance in "The Godfather". Brando did not go to the ceremony in protest of Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans and to bring attention to the standoff at Wounded Knee. Her speech was met with both jeers and applause.
In June 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) sent Littlefeather a statement of apology. It was read in full at "An Evening with Sacheen Littlefeather" on September 17.
Littlefeather was born in Salinas, California. Her mother was of French, German and Dutch ancestry. Her father was a Native American (both White Mountain Apache and Yaqui).
In 2018, a spokesperson announced that Littlefeather had stage 4 breast cancer. She died on October 2, 2022, in Novato, California from the disease. She was 75.
Shortly after Littlefeather's death, Littlefeather's two sisters said that their family is not Native American and that Littlefeather lied about her Native American ancestry. They said that their father was Hispanic of Spanish–Mexican descent.