LOS ANGELES (AP) ā The were full of sure-things, long-awaited anointments and easy predictions. The . Ryan Goslingās Ken stealing the show. That put even more focus on
When , a ceremony light on surprise got a genuine shock, perfectly illustrated by Stoneās stunned expression. Stoneās win, for her sensational performance in āPoor Things,ā was hard not to cast as a defeat for Lily Gladstone. The āKillers of the Flower Moonā actress had been picked by most prognosticators and ā as everyone knew ā history hung in the balance. Her win in the nearly century-long history of the Oscars.
It was a difficult to define result. It wasn't quite an upset ā Stoneās performance, equally favored, was too good to call it that. But it still stung, particularly for Native Americans watching across the country ā a community that has watched Hollywood for most of its existence overlook its stories and performers.
One thing you couldnāt call it, though, was a loss for Gladstone.
āLily Gladstone has undeniably left an indelible mark, breaking barriers and inspiring countless individuals with her remarkable presence and commitment to storytelling,ā cheered , a Tribal Council for the Blackfoot Confederacy Nations of Kainai-Blood Tribe, Siksika, Peigan-Piikani and Aamskapi Pikuni.
āHer representation is a source of pride for the Blackfoot Confederacy, The Osage Nation, and all indigenous communities, resonating far beyond the confines of a single ceremony.ā
Throughout awards season, Gladstone has been a figure of rare grace, speaking eloquently on behalf of her tribe, the Osage, Native American representation and Hollywood history. More than any other nominated performer on Sunday night, she carried the hopes and dreams of a people.
āThis is for every little rez kid,ā Gladstone said . āEvery 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 and from each other.ā
Gladstone, born in Montana and raised in the Blackfeet Nation, was the first Indigenous performer to win that award, for best actress in a drama ā just one of the many āfirstsā that she achieved leading up to the Oscars. She likewise , where she won best female actor in a leading role. Those wins ā along with the devastating empathy and poise of her performance in āKillers of the Flower Moonā ā were more than enough to leave many cheering Gladstoneās milestone accomplishments.
āLily Gladstone, you already won,ā Peggy Flanagan, Minnesotaās Lieutenant Governor and a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, wrote on X. āYou bring all of us into every room you enter. We see ourselves in you every day ā thank you for taking us along on this journey with you. We can dream bigger than we ever thought because of you.ā
Gladstoneās SAG award was a big reason some expected her to win at the Oscars. Itās the most predictive awards for acting prizes. All of the other SAG winners ā Cillian Murphy, DaāVine Joy Randolph, Robert Downey Jr. ā won Sunday. In the two previous years, the SAG winners have exactly matched those at the Academy Awards.
But Stone also and at the Globes, where āPoor Thingsā was slotted into the comedy or musical categories. At the Oscars, it was clear academy voters were more passionate about āPoor Thingsā than āKillers of the Flower Moon.ā āPoor Thingsā took home four awards, second most to āOppenheimer,ā while āKillers of the Flower Moonā was shut out.
Martin Scorsese after the ceremony ended. knows something about Oscar disappointment. Scorsese, remarkably, has won only one Academy Awards (for directing āThe Departedā), and heās sat through numerous ceremonies only to see his much-nominated films ā including āTaxi Driver,ā āGangs of New York,ā āThe Wolf of Wall Streetā and āThe Irishmanā ā leave with nothing. His last two features have gone 0-for-20 at the Academy Awards, easily a record.
Working against Gladstoneās favor may have been that sheās on screen for closer to a third of the filmās lengthy running time. Some felt she should have competed in best supporting actress. Meanwhile, Stoneās performance was a more traditional leading one. With two Oscars in five nominations, the 35-year-old Stone is among the most universally beloved actors working today.
āI think I blacked out,ā . āYes, I was very shocked. I still feel like Iām spinning a little bit. So yes, itās a huge honor and Iām very surprised.ā
Awards season context, though, means only so much to a Native American community that, after decades almost totally absent of the Academy Awards, had prepared for a historical moment.
Dallas Goldtooth, a Sioux actor and regular on āReservation Dogs,ā wrote on X: āHow do you say ārobbedā in Blackfoot?ā
āAsking for a friend,ā added Goldtooth. āJust kidding, Iām asking for myself.ā
Lucas Brown Eyes, an Oglala Lakota TV writer, was frustrated not just by Gladstone not winning but by this being the only real chance Native Americans have had.
āIt took 95 YEARS for a Native (Blackfeet) woman to get a nomination like this,ā wrote Brown Eyes. āThe āmake upā Oscar doesnāt work for Natives when this industry gives Natives opportunities once in a century.ā
One actor, even one as good as Gladstone, isnāt enough to turn a tide that Native Americans have been beating back for as long as theyāve been in movies. The celebratory moment for Native people, in the end, came earlier in the Oscar ceremony, in a performance of collective power. Scott George, the first Native American nominated for best song, performed āWahzhazhe (A Song for My People)ā with the Osage Tribal Singers. More than a dozen singers and dancers surrounded a close-knit drum circle of nine tribal musicians.
At an awards ceremony that so often isolates artists, it was a rousing display of communal connection, sounded through ancient rhythms. And it recalled what Wes Studi said while Studi, is still the only Native American with an Academy Award.
āI wonāt say how long itās taken me to do this,ā said Studi then. āI can only say that the journey has been peopled by many.ā
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
