Oscars 2024: The Complex History Of The Academy, Hollywood And Indigenous Talent

At Oscar’s 2024, Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American woman to be nominated in the Best Actress category

The Academy Awards, which began nearly a century ago in 1929, has earned itself several adjectives along the way – prestigious, glamorous, celebrated, iconic, distinguished; the list can go on. However, one adjective that has eluded the Oscar, as the awards are popularly called, is “inclusive”.  For decades now, the Academy has been criticised for being an all-white show [remember #OscarsSoWhite], turning a blind eye towards non-white racial and ethnic groups that have contributed to making Hollywood what it is. Some would argue that the Oscars' well-documented diversity gaps are but an extension of Hollywood's complicated history with people of colour and varied ethnicities. 

This year, the nomination of  Lily Gladstone in the Best Actress category [ Killers Of The Flower Moon] has trained the lens on Hollywood's acceptance of diversity, once again. Lily Gladstone is the first Native American woman in the Academy's 96-year history to be nominated in the coveted category. She had already received global acclaim for her Killers of the Flower Moon role including the Golden Globe award and the SAG award. She was also the first Indigenous woman to win the Golden Globe award in the Best Actress category.