Sacheen Littlefeather's sisters accuse late actress of lying about native ancestry
Sacheen Littlefeather's legacy is being called into question by her own sisters
Three weeks after Sacheen Littlefeather's demise, her legacy has been called into question by her own two sisters Trudy Orlandi and Rosalind Cruz. The late actress' two siblings have claimed in a report that Littlefeather lied about her indigenous ancestry and that she was previously known by her family as "Deb".
Speaking to a publication, Trudy Orlandi said, "It's a lie," while adding, "My father was who he was. His family came from Mexico. And my dad was born in Oxnard."
Meanwhile, Littlefeather's other sister Rosalind Cruz told the San Francisco Chronicle, "It is a fraud. It's disgusting to the heritage of the tribal people. And it's just… insulting to my parents."
Cruz and Orlandi claimed that they have come forward now to restore their parents' reputation, as Littlefeather is "being venerated as a saint". They also said that the claimabout her father being a violent alcoholic who abused them and their white mother is false.
Columnist Jacqueline Keeler wrote in her San Francisco Chronicle report that according to her research of historical documents, the lineage of Littlefeather’s father traces back to Mexico and not the Apache & Yaqui territories in Arizona. She added that there are no records of her family members’ enrollment in any of these tribes.
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Littlefeather had claimed to belong to the White Mountain Apache and Yaqui tribes from her father's side. She rose to infamy at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973 when she turned down the Oscar trophy for Best Actor on behalf of Marlon Brando. The move was made by Brando and Littlefeather toprotest against the film industry's unjust treatment of Native Americans.
Littlefeather died on October2 of metastasized breast cancer at her home in Marin County, California, surrounded by friends and family. She was 75.
"Littlefeather dedicated her life to the health and wellness of Native people everywhere," read a press release at the time. "She was known for her sense of humour, quick wit, and fierce advocacy for Native American and Indigenous communities."