
- Details
- By Rich Tupica
LOS ANGELES — Taika Waititi, a New Zealand director/actor, accepted the Academy Award last night in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for Jojo Rabbit, and his winner’s speech went beyond your typical “thank yous.” At the 92nd Oscars, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the 44-year thoughtfully recognized not only his mother, producers and film crew, but also Indigenous people around the world.
“I dedicate this to all the indigenous kids in the world who want to do art and dance and write stories," he said in front of Hollywood-industry elites and millions of television viewers. “We are the original storytellers and we can make it here as well.”
Closing his speech, Waititi signed off with “kia ora,” a famous Māori phrase meaning “be safe.” He is the first Oscar winner of Māori decent. Māori are the tangata whenua, the indigenous people, of New Zealand. Later, the heartfelt nods continued when Waititi was introducing the winners of the Academy’s honorary prizes. That’s when he said: “The Academy would like to acknowledge that tonight we have gathered on the ancestral lands of the Tongva, the Tataviam, and the Chumash. We acknowledge them as the first peoples of this land on which the motion pictures community lives and works.” Watch his 2020 Oscar speech here.
Jojo Rabbit stars Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie and Scarlett Johansson. It was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. This was Waititi’s third nomination.
More Stories Like This
Eighth Generation Blanket Featured on Cover of British Vogue in OctoberHere’s What's Going On in Indian Country, September 21 —September 28
The Land That Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans Exhibition Begins Sept. 22 at National Gallery of Art
Gifted Native American Flutist Robert Tree Cody Walks On
The Future is Now at Newly Opened Center for Native Futures in Chicago
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.