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At Variety's Power of Women event, Lily Gladstone received honors for her advocacy for Indigenous women's rights. At the same stage, she delivered an emotional speech on Killers of the Flower Moon's focus.
With the evolution from a criminal investigation to a focus on Osage woman Mollie Kyle, Gladstone highlighted ongoing abuses faced by Indigenous women. She also praised co-star Leonardo DiCaprio for bringing attention to the Osage community's struggles. And acknowledged the importance of her character's development in the script.
Honored for her work with the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC), Gladstone emphasized the organization's role in addressing violence against Indigenous women. “To understand the scope of the work that these women do and to understand the irony and how it ties to this man onstage playing an FBI agent — had he done that, how unfortunate it would’ve been for audiences to walk away under the impression that the FBI are the saviors of Native women. We know that is not the truth.”
Tearing up, Lily Gladstone expressed gratitude for the support she received from the NIWRC in her early acting career. She recognized acting as her activism and credited the organization for providing her a platform to amplify Indigenous voices.
“One thing that NIWRC is doing is bringing these stories forward of survivors in front of lawmakers. In front of Congress. In front of people who have the power to enact real change. To give our people just what we need to protect ourselves. Bare minimum.”
As an awards contender for her role in Scorsese's film, Lily Gladstone's potential Oscar nomination could make her one of the first Indigenous women nominee in the lead actress category.
