Leonardo DiCaprio urged a worldwide audience to acknowledge and learn from Indigenous peoples as he accepted a Golden Globe for his work on The Revenant.
The movie, which tells the tale of 1800s frontiersman Hugh Glass, opened in Yellowknife on Friday with a premiere featuring Fort Simpson actress Melaw Nakehk’o, who appears alongside DiCaprio.
.@LeoDiCaprio wins Best Actor – Motion Picture, Drama for @RevenantMovie. #GoldenGlobes https://t.co/odFWVhrDFG
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 11, 2016
Alongside DiCaprio’s award for best actor in a drama, The Revenant also won in the best drama and best director categories.
“I want to share this award with all the First Nations people represented in this film, and all the Indigenous communities around the world,” said DiCaprio as he closed his acceptance speech.
“It is time that we recognize your history and that we protect your Indigenous lands from corporate interests and people that are out there to exploit them.
“It is time that we heard your voice and protected this planet for future generations.”
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Speaking to Moose FM last week, ahead of the film’s premiere at Yellowknife’s Capitol Theatre, Nakehk’o said she had been impressed by the production team’s dedication to accurate portrayal of Indigenous peoples of the time.
“The director did a really great job in casting Indigenous talent,” she told us.
“For a mainstream Hollywood movie to have Indigenous people playing Indigenous people is really huge and I’m glad to be a part of that at this level of film.”
