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- By Levi Rickert, Kaili Berg
Robert Redford, the legendary actor, Oscar-winning director, and producer, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Utah on Tuesday, September 19, 2025. He was 89.
Redford’s contributions to Indian Country were significant and enduring. He served as executive producer of Incident at Oglala (1992), a powerful documentary about the controversial conviction of Leonard Peltier (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe), a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), in the 1975 deaths of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Redford also narrated the film, using his voice and platform to bring national attention to the case.
The film helped bring national attention to the flaws and questions surrounding the case, and to this day remains one of the most significant cultural works associated with Peltier’s ongoing fight for freedom.
Beyond his work in film, Redford championed Indigenous voices through the creation of the Indigenous Program at the Sundance Institute, helping to amplify Native storytelling in the world of independent cinema.
In a phone interview on Thursday, Leonard Peltier expressed his condolences to Redford’s family, telling Native News Online that the actor had been a steadfast ally and advocate.
“I want to pass on my condolences to his family. I have been associated with him for over 50 years. It was a sad day for us to learn of his passing. I am sure he will go to a better place. I wish I could go to his funeral, but I am under strict restrictions.”
Peltier explained that he first came to know Redford through connections in Hollywood, including Marlon Brando, and that they met before his incarceration.
“Robert served as the narrator and he helped finance the making of it. It was done in a decent way and I was happy at the time. It was done as accurately as they allowed things to be presented back in those days. I think it was done accurately and it helped my cause.”
Peltier added, “He was an elder. He was up there in age, and we all get old and have to pass on sooner or later, unfortunate for us. We're going to miss him, because he still was a strong supporter. I wish I could have visited him before he passed, but I'm on severe restrictions.
His death marks the end of an era in Hollywood, but his legacy lives on through his films, his environmental activism, and his work alongside Indian Country.
Redford rose to stardom in the 1960s and 70s with performances in classics such as Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Jeremiah Johnson, The Sting, The Way We Were, and All the President’s Men.
Later, he proved himself as a director, winning the Academy Award for Ordinary People and going on to shape films that carried meaning, including A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer.
In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, which quickly became one of the most influential cultural institutions in the world. The Sundance Film Festival gave rise to generations of independent filmmakers who otherwise might never have found a platform.
Redford helped establish the Indigenous Program at Sundance, which has mentored Native storytellers through labs, fellowships, and training that continue to this day.
In a statement to Native News Online on his passing, the Sundance Institute said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of our founder and friend Robert Redford. Bob’s vision of a space and a platform for independent voices launched a movement that, over four decades later, has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema in the U.S. and around the world. Beyond his enormous contributions to culture at large, we will miss his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit, and his love for the creative process. We are humbled to be among the stewards of his remarkable legacy, which will continue to guide the Institute in perpetuity.”
In recent years, he served as executive producer of Dark Winds, a television series based on the Navajo Nation and created with a Native cast and creative team.
He made his final appearance on the March 9 season 3 premiere of the series alongside Game of Thrones author and fellow Dark Winds executive producer George R.R. Martin.
In the scene, Redford played an inmate engaged in a game of chess with Martin while locked up in a police station’s small cell, which marked his first acting role since he appeared in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
In addition to his work in film and advocacy, Robert Redford played a prominent role in supporting the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). He served as the honorary co-chair of the museum's National Campaign Committee, helping to raise awareness and funding for the museum’s opening on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
In 2004. Redford spoke at the museum's dedication ceremony, emphasizing the importance of honoring Native history and culture through Indigenous voices. His longstanding commitment to Native American issues made him a natural ally in the museum’s mission to preserve and present the diverse cultures of Native peoples across the Americas.
Redford's activism also extended to environmental justice. He spent decades fighting for clean air, water, and the protection of wilderness.
Over the course of his life, Redford received nearly every accolade within the film world. From Oscars to Golden Globes to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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