So, Lily Gladstone lost Best Actress to Emma Stone, but you know, last night was still a historic night for Native American representation at the Oscars. Scott George and the Osage Singers performed their nominated original song, “Wahzhazhe (A Song for my People)” live on stage, at an event where John Wayne once had to be restrained from tackling a Native woman. 

 

So, SOME progress, if not perhaps as much as we’d like (isn’t that always the case?). But seeing Native Americans singing and celebrating in a space that has traditionally been reserved for white people was truly moving.

 

Plus, the red carpet was rich with Indigenous representation. Quannah Chasinghorse looked INCREDIBLE; Chad Renfro, an Osage and consulting producer on Killers of the Flower Moon, looked dashing as hell; Tatanka Means is reliably handsome; and William Belleau, Yancey Red Corn, and Tantoo Cardinal all looked great. Prey star Amber Midthunder was also at the Oscars, though her dress was a little bland. 

 

Notably, too, Vanessa Hudgens performed the Oscars’ first land acknowledgment from the red carpet. This is not a common practice in the US, as compared to Canada, where it has become more standardized in public spaces. Sadly, I cannot find this moment online, it would be nice if the Academy or ABC included it on their feeds, but while the night was enriched by Native performers and music, they apparently don’t feel like the land acknowledgment rates more than a fleeting mention, not to be preserved. Sounds about white.