Actor and activist Sacheen Littlefeather, who famously declined a 1973 Oscar on behalf of actor Marlon Brando, has died at the age of 75, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said.
The Academy confirmed the Apache and Yaqui woman's death on Twitter on Sunday night (local time).
In 1973, Littlefeather became the first Native American woman to stand onstage at the Academy Awards, on behalf of Brando.
At his request, she did not accept his Best Actor award for The Godfather, explaining why in a powerful speech in which she spoke of the film industry's mistreatment of Native Americans.
Littlefeather was booed off the stage after 60 seconds for the remarks, which drew attention to an Indigenous people's protest at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
"Mr Brando very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award today, and the reasons for this are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry, and on television and movie reruns and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee," she said at the time.
She was then professionally boycotted by the film industry for decades.
In June this year - almost 50 years on - Littlefeather received an apology from the Academy, signed by then president David Rubin.
"As you stood on the Oscars stage in 1973 to not accept the Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando, in recognition of the misrepresentation and mistreatment of Native American people by the film industry, you made a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity," the letter said.
"The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable.
"For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration."
Speaking at an event in her honour at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles last month, Littlefeather was met with applause as she took to the stage.
"Well, I made it. It took 50 years," she said.
The event included the reading of the Academy's apology letter, to which Littlefeather responded: "I am accepting this apology not only for me alone, but an acknowledgement not only for me, but all of our [Native American] nation.
"Our nation needs to hear this apology."
