Cherokee One Feather Editorial Board
When the name of the Golden Globe winner for best performance by an actress in a motion picture was announced on Monday (Jan. 9) evening, all of Indian Country celebrated. Lily Gladstone, a member of the Blackfeet Nation of Montana, won the award making history as the first Native American to win a Golden Globe.
During her acceptance speech which she began in the Blackfeet language, Gladstone noted, “This is for every little Rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves in our own words with tremendous allies and tremendous trust with and from each other.”
Lily Gladstone, left, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart in “Killers of the Flower Moon”. She is shown with co-star Leonardo DiCaprio in a promotional still for the movie. (Promotional photo via Apple)
Gladstone won the award for her portrayal of Mollie Kyle Burkhart in the Martin Scorsese film “Killers of the Flower Moon” about the Osage Nation murders. Osage News, the news outlet of the Osage Nation (Okla.), hosted a Golden Globes viewing party. They shared a video on Facebook showing the room erupt with applause and cheers as Gladstone’s name was called.
The Osage Nation congratulated Gladstone in a statement, “Lily has become a beloved part of our community, inspiring our youth to reach new heights and transforming Native representation in film.”
That sentiment was shared across Indian Country.
IllumiNative, a Native woman-led racial and social justice organization, said in a statement, “Beyond mere accolades, Lily’s performance stands as a powerful force combating the erasure of Native peoples, culture, and communities.”
The non-profit organization Urban Indigenous Collective, said in a statement, “Seeing an Indigenous woman deliver a speech on such a massive stage in the traditional Blackfeet language was such a moving movement for us all. This is a huge step forward for Indigenous visibility in media and reminds us of the importance of Indigenous representation in the arts.”
The win by Gladstone is historic, but it is also proof that it can be done with a lot of hard work. The Qualla Boundary, and reservations and reserves across Indian Country, are full of very talented people.
So, to all you Rez kids out there – dream big, dream far, work hard, work harder, and make it happen.
