Sacheen Littlefeather faked Native American ancestry say family

Having stood in for Marlon Brando to refuse his Oscar, the actor and activist championed Native American rights

Sacheen Littlefeather, the activist who famously stood in for Marlon Brando to refuse the best actor Oscar in 1973, faked Native American ancestry, her family have said.

In an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Littlefeather's sisters Rosalind Cruz and Trudy Orlandi said that their sister's claim to have Apache and Yaqui ancestry through her father was a lie" and a fantasy".