What happens when the rich and famous use their celebrity status’ to promote more than their latest movies? What happens when they get involved with real people facing real issues and try to bring some attention to where it is desperately needed?
There have been some remarkable events in North American Indigenous history that involved participation from athletes, film stars, and musicians, but what did that participation accomplish?
Through an examination of Marlon Brando’s Oscar boycott, the Oka Crisis recounted by Waneek Horn-Miller, and the celebrity involvement in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, this project will show that the extra attention brought to those issues as a result was positive, in that it raised an awareness and demand for information about Indigenous people and issues that would not have happened without celebrity involvement.
Brando’s Oscar
Marlon Brando is one of the most prolific actors of his time, and no role was more defining for him than that of Don Corleone in The Godfather. Brando’s performance saved his dwindling career, and served to immortalize him as an archetype of cinema. It’s no wonder he won an Oscar for the role, but his response to that award left the film world breathless.
Brando did not attend the 45th Academy Awards in 1973, choosing to boycott the event. Instead, he sent Sacheene Littlefeather in his place. Littlefeather ascended the stage when Brando won and told stunned viewers in attendance and watching at home that Brando was declining the award, as a sign of protest for the actions taking place at Wounded Knee, which was experiencing a standoff between the Ogala Lakota and U.S. Law enforcement.
Littlefeather’s announcement was met with boos and applause, and Brando’s actions were criticized and lauded as a result. Many felt that it was incredibly disrespectful to decline such a sought-after award, while others praised Brando’s selflessness in using the Oscars as a platform to promote the rights of Indigenous people. Either way, at least for a brief time, the event got the nation talking about Indigenous affairs.
This is a clear demonstration of the power of celebrities to push forward the agenda of Indigenous peoples, and further the discussion in mainstream media. History vindicated Brando as this event is now commonly seen in a positive light, and it’s an opportunity that actors who win Oscars have every year. With the growing tide of activism in the United States, other celebrities such as Meryl Streep, Jesse Williams, and Asghar Farhadi are just a few recent examples of those who are using their celebrity to push forward awareness of social issues and take a stand for what they believe in.
Oka Crisis
The Oka crisis was brought on by a proposed golf course expansion and real estate development onto sacred ground called “the Pines”. The Mohawk were staunchly against this, and although their claim to the land had been rejected by a judge three years earlier, they were determined to protect their families’ lands and burial sites.
A barricade was formed, and a tense standoff ensued. Throughout this ordeal the media was mostly only able to present the side of the police, and later the soldiers who were called in to deal with the Indigenous protestors. As a result, the story was often portrayed as good Canadian men doing their duty against a band of rogue “Indians”, who were frequently seen shouting, toting rifles, and wearing face paint or masks.
It’s not hard to imagine that this created a very negative portrayal of the Indigenous people involved. Luckily, there were some who were able to speak out, and even now are still known for participating in the Oka Crisis.
Waneek Horn-Miller, a world class water polo player, was just 14 when she joined the barricade with her mother and four-year-old sister. On the final day of the crisis, Horn-Miller and her family made their way past the army lines, and once they reached the gates a riot broke out. In the immediate chaos, Horn-Miller was stabbed in the chest by a rifle’s bayonet.
The blow was nearly fatal, the blade just missing her heart. When she told her story on CBC’s nightly news program The National, it hit home with Canadians, helping to humanize the people who stood at the barricade. Though this interview aired decades after the event, it gave younger people a chance to learn about the Oka Crisis, and seek the truth for themselves.
Dakota Access Pipeline
The Dakota Access Pipeline is still a hot topic today, and while an executive order may have swung the pendulum in favour of big oil, many are still willing to stand and be heard.
The DAP protests, and those of Standing Rock, have been in the news on and off over the last year, as the status of the pipeline’s construction, the state of “water protector” camps, and celebrity opinions dotted the news block each week. Many podcasts and live streaming events documented what was happening from right within the camps themselves.
Some notable figures who participated include the actor Mark Ruffalo, an outspoken environmentalist who provided solar panel trailers to the protestors, so they’d have a renewable energy source while they campaigned. Ruffalo wasn’t the only super hero actor to join the fight. The cast of the upcoming Justice League film stood together in a short video to endorse Rezpect Our Water, the campaign launched by Standing Rock youth.
The earth’s defenders weren’t the most prominent celebrities involved, however. That title goes to Shailene Woodley. The Divergent star livestreamed her participation in the protest, and was even arrested for criminal trespassing, and engaging in a riot.
What difference did her actions make though? Were Woodley’s actions in vain? At first, it seemed like the protesters might win the day, when then-President Obama suspended a critical easement to drill beneath the Missouri river, crippling the project. An environmental assessment was to be conducted, and many were sure that it would prove the damages the pipeline would cause.
Things changed, however, with the newly minted President Trump’s executive order to advance the construction of the pipeline. The most influential celebrity of all had final say, it seems, as the former real estate mogul and television personality undermined months of protesting.
So what is the impact of celebrity involvement on Indigenous protests? The most obvious advantage of a big name attached to a movement is the added buzz their involvement will generate. When the most famous people in the world slap their name on a protest, it can garner international attention, and as long as it’s presented responsibly, this can encourage further interest in the issue, increased demand for more research and information, which hopefully results in more and better coverage of these events.
What we consume in the media can have a huge impact on our perceptions. An Environics report found that many Canadians learned about Indigenous issues through the media, second only to what they might have learned in school. But a secondary poll showed that most people only pay some attention, very little attention, or none at all, to these stories.
Associating a favourite actor with a movement can generate interest and sympathy for a cause that previously did not inspire these emotions. Celebrities are capable of shining a light on their social issues of choice, but it’s up to ordinary citizens to take the real action.
This can be done through direct participation, or through more passive involvement, such as sharing your opinions and demanding action from local legislators. Politicians are swayed by the people who can vote them in or out of office. If enough people can shake off their apathy and stand for something they believe in, we could see real change brought about by everyday people like you and me.
Sources
Corrigall-Brown, & Wilkes. (2014). Media exposure and the engaged citizen: How the media shape political participation. The Social Science Journal, 51(3), 408-421.
Wilkes, R. (2006). The Protest Actions of Indigenous Peoples: A Canadian-U.S. Comparison of Social Movement Emergence. The American Behavioral Scientist,50(4), 510-525.
Wilkes, & Ricard. (2007). How does newspaper coverage of collective action vary?: Protest by Indigenous people in Canada. The Social Science Journal, 44(2), 231-251.
Wilkes, Rima, Corrigall-Brown, Catherine, & Ricard, Danielle. (2010). Nationalism and Media Coverage of Indigenous People’s Collective Action in Canada. American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 34(4), 41-59.
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