Lily Gladstone speaks Blackfeet language in speech for historic Golden Globes win

Lily Gladstone is making history at the Golden Globes.

The Killers of the Flower Moon star, who was the first Indigenous person to win the Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama, began her acceptance speech with a few lines in Blackfeet language. “I just spoke a bit of Blackfeet language — the beautiful community, nation that raised me, that encouraged me to keep going, doing this,” she said. 

“I’m here with my mom, who, even though she’s not Blackfeet, worked tirelessly to get our language into our classroom so I had a Blackfeet language teacher growing up,” she continued. “I’m so grateful that I can speak even a little bit of my language, which I’m not fluent in, up here. Because this business… native actors used to speak their lines in English and then the sound mixers would run them backwards to accomplish native languages on camera.”

After accepting her award, Gladstone explained the background of her introductory remarks. “It’s often how I introduce myself in a new group of people, especially when it’s significant,” she said backstage. “One of the first things we’re taught is you say your name, you say where you’re from, and you say hello to everyone… it was one of the more natural things I could do in the moment.”

Gladstone played Mollie, a wealthy Osage woman in Oklahoma who endures a cruel, complex marriage to Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio, who was also nominated for a Globe but lost to Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy). Gladstone honored her Blackfeet heritage on the red carpet with earrings crafted by Lenise Omeasoo of Antelope Women Designs, while DiCaprio wore a pin with the symbol of the Osage nation on his lapel.

Later in her speech, Gladstone emphasized the significance of her recognition at the Globes. "This is an historic win. It doesn’t belong to just me, I’m holding it right now, holding it with all my beautiful sisters in the film, at this table over here — my mother Tantoo Cardinal, standing on all of your shoulders,” she said. 

Gladstone concluded her remarks by highlighting the importance of Indigenous representation on screen. “This is for every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little native kid out there who has a dream who is seeing themselves represented in our stories told by ourselves in our own words with tremendous allies and tremendous trust with and from each other. Thank you all so much.”

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