Lily Gladstone, a Native American movie star who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” took issue with the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers in a recent interview on a podcast.
Gladstone, who was born in Montana and is from the Piegan Blackfeet, appeared on the “Variety Awards Circuit” podcast, which launched Thursday. Variety noted that Gladstone's comments came before the Chiefs defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
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This image released by Apple TV+ shows Lily Gladstone, center, in a scene from “Killers of the Flower Moon.” (Apple TV+ via AP)
She took issue with the 49ers nickname and with almost everything about the Chiefs, from the nickname to the ax swing fans have done to support the team.
“Honestly, both teams could be held responsible,” he told the outlet. “The 49ers are based on the California Gold Rush, which was an incredibly brutal time for the California Indians.
“And then the Chiefs. There are many ways the name 'chief' can be interpreted. It's not just the name that bothers me. It's hearing that damn ax chop. Every time, it's a stark reminder of what Hollywood tells us. has done, because the tomahawk cut relates directly to the sounds of old westerns in which we were not playing ourselves. or if we were, we were mere background actors.
Lily Gladstone arrives at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon at the 96th Academy Awards on Monday, February 12, 2024 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
FEAR OF NATIVE AMERICANS AWAKENED EFFORTS BY KANSAS CITY CHIEF, BOY SCOUTS AND TAYLOR SWIFT TO ERASE HERITAGE
Specifically, Gladstone suggested that it was a travesty to say that making the tomahawk chop was an “honor” to Native Americans.
Native Americans have protested the Chiefs name in all four recent Super Bowls. The team has been under fire amid the Washington organization changing its name from the Redskins to the Washington Football Team and then to the Commanders.
Prior to the 2020 season, the Chiefs banned fans from wearing Native American headdresses and face paint at games. The team has never given any indication that it will change its nickname.
Kansas City Chiefs fans do the ax chopping as they gather to watch their team play the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII during the Red Kingdom Block Party in the Power and Light District on February 11, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images)
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Gladstone is the first Native American woman nominated for Best Actress.
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