SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER:
MY NAME IS SACHEEN LITTLE FEATHER.. I’M APACHE
MAHMOUD BENNETT:
THAT’S – A SELF-DESCRIBED NATIVE AMERICAN ACTRESS WHO’S NOW BEING ACCUSED OF FAKING HER ANCESTRY
SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER:
VERY REGRETFULLY I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS VERY GENEROUS AWARD
MAHMOUD BENNETT:
SHE FAMOUSLY DECLINED MARLON BRANDO’S OSCAR BACK IN 1973 – IN PROTEST OF HOLLYWOOD’S DEPICTION OF NATIVE AMERICANS – SHE DIED EARLIER THIS MONTH
BUT NOW HER OWN FAMILY IS TELLING THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE THAT HER CLAIMS OF BEING NATIVE AMERICAN WERE ALL A FRAUD
ONE SISTER SAYING THEIR FATHER ACTUALLY CAME FROM MEXICO
ANOTHER SISTER CALLING HER LIFE A FANTASY BRANDING THE NATIVE CLAIMS DISGUSTING TO THE HERITAGE OF THE TRIBAL PEOPLE AND INSULTING TO THEIR PARENTS.
SACHEEN LITTLEFEATHER WAS A VOCAL ADVOCATE FOR NATIVE AMERICANS AND SAID SHE BELONGED TO THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE AND YAQUI TRIBES ON HER FATHER’S SIDE
THIS REPORT COMES AMID A TREND OF MORE AMERICANS SELF-IDENTIFYING AS NATIVE AMERICAN – CENSUS DATA SHOWS CLAIMS ARE UP 86% OVER 10 YEARS, DESPITE NO EVIDENCE OF A MASSIVE INFLUX
FOLLOWING HER FAMOUS PROTEST IN 1973- LITTLEFEATHER SAID SHE GOT PUSHBACK FOR SHEDDING LIGHT ON NATIVE AMERICAN ISSUES – THE MOTION PICTURE ACADEMY ISSUED AN APOLOGY SHORTLY BEFORE HER PASSING