OSCARS 2024
Where was Lily Gladstone born, what is her ethnicity and how many native-americans have won an Oscar?
As is often the case, the 2024 Academy Awards offer up opportunities for new milestones to be reached, fresh breakthroughs to be made.
On 7 January this year, Lily Gladstone made history by becoming the first Indigenous performer to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Now, she has achieved another milestone with her nomination at the Oscars, becoming the first Indigenous person of American nationality to be nominated for such an award.
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Gladstone portrays Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s latest film, a woman from the Osage nation whose husband is implicated in the silent genocide inflicted upon her people, enriched by oil money. On her father’s side, the actress descends from the Blackfeet and Nez Perce tribes and spent part of her childhood on a reservation. This upbringing has deeply influenced her connection to her Indigenous heritage, evident in her heartfelt performances that resonate with authenticity and depth.
Indigenous representation in film
Gladstone is not the first Indigenous person to receive a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, as Keisha Castle-Hughes (“Whale Rider”) and Yalitza Aparicio (“Roma”) have previously received the same recognition. The former is Maori, while the latter is Native American, making Gladstone the first Indigenous person born in the United States to be nominated for the said award.
Furthermore, up until now, folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie was considered the first Indigenous person to win an Oscar. However, a CBC documentary suggested that the artist was born into a white family. Therefore, there is a possibility that if Gladstone wins the award at the ceremony tonight, she will also claim that recognition.
“This is for every little Native kid who has a dream, who sees themselves represented and sees our stories told by ourselves, in our own words,” said the artist upon receiving the Golden Globe award, starting her speech in the Blackfeet language in honour of her roots. Her achievements serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for Indigenous communities worldwide, demonstrating that their stories are not only worthy of recognition but also possess the power to captivate and move audiences on a global scale.