Lily Gladstone solidified her spot in the books on January 7, 2024, at the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards. She made history by becoming the first indigenous person to win Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. 

Gladstone was awarded for her role as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese-directed Killers of the Flower Moon, an adaption of David Grann’s bestselling book that follows the investigation of the murders of the Osage tribe during the Reign of Terror in Oklahoma.

Snatching the win over nominees Carey Mulligan, Sandra Hüller, Annette Bening, Greta Lee, and Cailee Spaeny, she opened her acceptance speech with a few words from the Blackfeet language.

Dr. Karla Bird, tribal outreach specialist at the University of Montana, translated the speech.

“Hello, all my relations,” Gladstone said, “My name is Eagle Woman. I am Blackfeet. I love you!”

Gladstone grew up on a reservation of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana where her mother brought the language into her home.

Noting the historical nature of the moment, she said, “In this business, Native Actors used to speak their lines in English, and then, the sound mixers ran them backward to accomplish native languages on camera.”

She dedicated her award to younger generations to cap off her speech.

“This is for every little res kid, every little urban kid, every little native kid out there who has a dream,” she said, “who is seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves in our own words with tremendous allies and tremendous trust from each other.”

To pay homage to her people, Gladstone was also adorned with Bulgari jewels and earrings by Blackfeet designer Lenise Omeasoo of Antelope Women Designs at the ceremony.