It is not very often that Indigenous Actors play in main roles in Hollywood, let alone win big audience awards and projects that Lily Gladstone won tonight at the 2024 Golden Globe nominations. This award now makes her the first Indigenous actor to win the Golden Globe in its 81 year old history. “This is a historic one, and it doesn’t belong to just me,” said Gladstone then after opening her acceptance speech speaking in the Blackfoot language. “I’m holding it with all of my beautiful sisters in the film and my mother Tantoo Cardinal.”
Lily Gladstone is an American actress known for her work in film and television. She was born on May 18, 1986, in Kalispell, Montana, USA. Lily Gladstone gained widespread recognition for her role in the 2016 film “Certain Women,” directed by Kelly Reichardt. In the film, she played the role of Jamie, a ranch hand who forms a connection with a young lawyer played by Kristen Stewart.
Lily Gladstone has also been involved in various other projects, but it’s important to note that information about her career may have evolved or expanded since my last update. I recommend checking more recent sources for the latest information on Lily Gladstone and her recent projects.
In taking home best actress in a motion picture drama for their role in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Gladstone makes history as the only Indigenous person to take home a Golden Globe. Irene Bedard is the only other actor to previously receive a nomination for best actress in a miniseries or TV movie for 1994’s Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee.
Expressing gratitude for her ability to speak some Blackfeet, thanks to her white mother’s initiative in arranging a Blackfeet language teacher during her schooling, Gladstone highlighted a past Hollywood practice of fabricating Native languages instead of portraying them with accuracy and authenticity. She expressed appreciation for the progress, saying, “I’m thankful to be able to speak even a bit of my language because, in the past, Native actors would deliver their lines in English, and then sound mixers would reverse them to simulate Native languages on screen.”
Gladstone also added “who thanked Chief Standing Bear and the Osage Nation as well as Scorsese, her Killers costars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro, and co-screenwriter Eric Roth for being allies — “This is for every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there 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 each other.”
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Gladstone’s aspiring words would leave a mark for indigenous communities and more so kids to strive towards just a large success just like Lily Gladstone. She is truly an inspiration for indigenous people and will continue to be remembered as a native advocate for indigenous people and its history. For it will only be the beginning for her career and her legacy to continue to inspire others who are indigenous to look more than just the rez.
Killers of the Flower Moon
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is a non-fiction book written by David Grann, published in 2017. The book investigates a series of murders of wealthy Osage Native Americans in the early 20th century in Oklahoma. The Osage Nation had become incredibly wealthy due to oil reserves discovered on their land, and members of the community were systematically murdered for their oil wealth.
The story delves into the FBI’s early days and its involvement in the investigation, uncovering a web of corruption and conspiracy. The case ultimately became one of the first major investigations for the newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1920s. The author explores the cultural, social, and political context of the time, shedding light on the discrimination faced by the Osage people.
As for the film adaptation, director Martin Scorsese is set to direct a movie based on the book, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone to star in the lead roles. The film is expected to delve into the complex historical events and provide a cinematic portrayal of the gripping true story. This is an amazing film to watch and it is highly recommended to watch but also very disturbing for some viewers. (I highly recommend you watch, you wont regret it!)
