Lily Gladstone made history this year as the first Native American nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, for her starring role in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. A win for her this year would be especially resonant, as a rising generation of Native writers, actors and showrunners continues to transform the kinds of stories Hollywood tells about Indigenous people.
As Gladstone makes headlines with her series of “firsts”, she’s worked hard to spotlight Native designers and emphasize her pride in her Blackfeet history and language, reminding audiences at every turn that “first” is very different from “only”.
