During this year’s 81st Golden Globes Awards, the world fawned over movie stars such as Margot Robbie in her Barbie-inspired Giorgio Armani dress and The Color Purple’s Fantasia in her custom Dolce and Gabbana lavender gown. As viewers at home watched the actors and actresses strut the red carpet, one film’s nominees sparked a discussion surrounding the changing tides of activism at the Golden Globes. 

Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone appeared as nominees for the film Killers of the Flower Moon, which tells the true story of the murders of the Osagemembers and the Osage Nation. After oil was found on their tribal lands, a corrupt local politician stole mineral rights from the Native American tribe. To highlight this major injustice, both nominees “stood in unison” with the Osage nation, with DiCaprio wearing a pin with the symbol for the Osage nation and Gladstone wearing earrings of a Blackfeet design, a typical Osage print.

While DiCaprio’s and Gladstone’s actions speak to their support of the Native American community, they also leave room for comparison. The Golden Globes, Oscars, and Emmys constitute the three most streamed television and film award ceremonies. Each event reaches large numbers of individuals from various backgrounds and has each become very influential. Platforms such as these have been used since their creation for activism and commentary. 

In the 1973 Oscars, Marlon Brando protested his award for The Godfather, sending up Sacheen Littlefeather, one of the most notable and recognizable of Native American Civil Rights, to accept the award on his behalf. This was a very vocal protest using the Golden Globes as a platform in opposition to Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans and to “shed light on the massacring of Indigenous peoples.” Littlefeather read a prepared statement: “He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award. The reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television in movie reruns, and also with the recent happenings at Wounded Knee,” sparking controversy across the audience and those watching at home. 

This is not the only instance in which the Golden Globes have been used as a platform for social activism; in 2018, eight women accompanied Laura Dern and Meryl Streep to highlight sexual harassment and gender inequality in the workplace and specifically in Hollywood, and in [date] Patricia Arquette used her acceptance time to speak on her political beliefs against former president Donald Trump. Platforms such as these have had activism on numerous topics as they serve as a means to reach and influence the millions who watch.

However, recently, these awards shows have lost their activist backbone, especially in this year’s 2024 Golden Globes. Analyzing these two separate Native American activist moments in history provides insight into how Golden Globes activism moved towards less powerful activism. Comparing the two Native American protests, the one in 1973 by Brando & Littlefeather and the one in 2024 by DiCaprio & Gladstone, show a shift away from intense activism to passive activism, activism with less impact. Many are left wondering if this will be a worrying and continuing trend.