Any guesses as to the over/under of this story being the lead on the next Gutfeld?
Native American writer Jacqueline Keeler has published a San Francisco Chronicle piece alleging Littlefeather co-opted Indigenous ancestry to further her entertainment career.
In a bombshell story by Native American journalist Jacqueline Keeler for the San Francisco Chronicle, Littlefeather’s sisters Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi claim that the activist wasn’t actually Native American.
“It’s a lie,” Orlandi said of Littlefeather’s claimed heritage. “My father was who he was. His family came from Mexico. And my dad was born in Oxnard.”
Cruz added. “It’s disgusting to the heritage of the tribal people. And it’s just… insulting to my parents.”
Both sisters personally identify as Spanish, and accuse Littlefeather of manufacturing her Indigenous backstory to advance her entertainment career. Following her speech at the 1973 Oscars, she played Native American characters in several films including “The Trial of Billy Jack,” “Johnny Firecloud,” and “Winterhawk.” She remained a visible activist until her death in October 2022.
“I mean, you’re not gonna be a Mexican American princess,” Orlandi said. “You’re gonna be an American Indian princess. It was more prestigious to be an American Indian than it was to be Hispanic in her mind.”
Littlefeather’s sisters allege that she lied about much more than just her ancestry. Throughout her life, she claimed that her father was a violent alcoholic who abused her mother, a claim that both sisters deny. They both say that many of the stories she told from her childhood actually happened to their father during his childhood, and she passed them off as if they had happened to her.
