\In Sophomore American History, students are learning about the American Indian Movement. During this time, Indians fought for greater rights while highlighting the injustices of the past. Reservations were barricaded and there was random violence. Most of the protests, however, involved civil disobedience. At the Academy Awards, actor Marlon Brando was up for an Oscar for his performance in The Godfather. When his name was announced, we were stunned to see a beautiful Native American woman come up to the stand and refuse the award. The short speech she read spoke of Mr. Brando's disgust with the portrayal of American Indians on screen, but also alluded to past injustices in real Native American History. I remember seeing this happen, and there was a loud murmur and some heckling while she attempted to read her speech. Students in my class now get to read Brando's speech from this controversial time.
