Summary
Highlights
In 1973, Sacheen Littlefeather declined Marlon Brando's Oscar to protest Hollywood's misrepresentation of Native Americans and draw attention to the American Indian Movement, highlighting cultural appropriation in film.
The term 'cultural appropriation' first appeared in 1945 and has been a topic of debate. It refers to the misuse or misrepresentation of a culture, often by dominant groups, that diminishes the contributions of the original creators.
The video uses Raymond Williams' 1976 definition of culture, categorizing it into three main umbrellas: intellectual/spiritual/aesthetic development (ideologies, beliefs), shared way of life (interactions, communal living), and shared creative/artistic productivity (art, literature, music). Cultural production, being the most concrete, is most prone to appropriation.
While culture is shared and not owned by one person, this argument against appropriation has weaknesses. Cultural ownership belongs to the group it originates from, not a single individual. Legal protections like copyright are difficult to apply to evolving cultural products, as patenting can ossify a culture.
Opponents of cultural appropriation often cite America's 'melting pot' nature. However, people may admire cultural products while disregarding the creators. Cultural appropriation occurs when a dominant group takes elements of a marginalized culture, divorces them from their original meaning, and uses them for entertainment without facing the negative consequences that the original culture might.
Marlon Brando's full statement, delivered by Littlefeather, emphasized that the protest was about more than film misrepresentation; it addressed the systemic mischaracterization of Native Americans and its real-world consequences, such as the contemporary occupation of Wounded Knee. The pleasure from consuming such cultural products does not outweigh the damage caused by misrepresentation and appropriation.